Princess Anne gives romantic flowers to girl on trip

Princess Anne still finds room for moments that stop people in their tracks.

Earlier this week, the Princess Royal travelled to Gloucester, close to her Gatcombe Park home, for the official opening of the University of Gloucestershire’s new City Campus housed in the former Debenhams building that once anchored the city centre. 

Edna Lee, who devoted an astonishing 64 years to working at the store before it closed, was introduced to Anne during the visit. 

After presenting the Princess with a bouquet, Edna was left stunned when Anne insisted the flowers be returned to her. 

“I honestly couldn’t believe it,” she later told the BBC, describing how the Princess paused to chat warmly, joking about Edna having started work “as a child” which, as it turned out, she had, at just 15.

To Edna, the exchange felt anything but rehearsed. She said the Princess spoke “like a friend,” adding that the brief conversation left her “thrilled to bits.” 

For someone who spent decades behind the same shop counters, it was a moment that transformed a familiar building into something unforgettable.

Just days earlier, she had demonstrated the same personal touch in writing, penning a heartfelt message as President of the Carers Trust. 

In her address, she acknowledged the growing strain on unpaid carers across the country, speaking about isolation, exhaustion and the quiet sacrifices made behind closed doors.

Calling carers “the backbone of our society,” the Princess highlighted the emotional and financial toll of caring for loved ones, while paying tribute to the compassion that drives so many to keep going.