Princess Anne, known for her sharp wit and blunt wit, uttered several iconic phrases over the years. She was even accused of coining the expression "naff off," which later turned out to be an inaccurate paraphrase of her heated response to photographers.
It was May 1, 1982, and Princess Anne, an avid horse rider, was competing in an equestrian competition at Badminton. Unfortunately, 31-year-old Anne fell from her horse, Stevie B, during a cross-country jump and was devastated when she emerged from the water.
She reportedly told the photographers who captured her misfortune to "fuck off," which made headlines at the time. Decades later, royal photographers clarified that her two-word joke was slightly different.
«"That's the moment when she lost her temper and told me to fuck off, and it caused quite a row," Steve Woods said in the 2002 Channel 4 documentary The Real Princess.
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«"The truth is, we made up the word 'bullshit' to cover up another word," his colleague Ashley Walton interjected, and Steve added, "I guess that might have been part of the conversation, too, but there were a lot of other [expletive] words around at the time.".
Princess Anne fell from her horse, Stevie B, during a water jump at the Badminton equestrian event in 1982 (Getty Images). Princess Anne reportedly had harsh words for photographers at the event (Getty Images).
Royals are losing their cool
Known for their calm and poise, members of the royal family rarely lose their temper. Besides Anne's outburst, there were other occasions when her brother, King Charles, and her mother, Queen Elizabeth, demonstrated their more likable side and lost their tempers.
The King was caught on camera expressing his displeasure over a leaky pen just days after ascending to the throne in 2022. While signing the visitors' book at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland, he exclaimed, "Oh, God, I hate this!" as the ink from his fountain pen began to smudge everything around him.
«"I can't stand this anymore. Why do they do this every time?" he added, wiping his hands with a handkerchief and leaving.
Meanwhile, the 73-year marriage of the late Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip was full of ups and downs, as evidenced during their royal tour of Australia in 1954.
According to Robert Jobson in his book, The Windsor Legacy, while staying in the Yarra Ranges, Prince Philip reportedly stormed out of a cottage when his wife threw a tennis racket and shoes at him.
In 1954, Queen Elizabeth II was rumored to have lost her temper and become angry with Prince Philip in Australia (Getty Images).
He explained that Queen Elizabeth quickly ushered her husband back inside after noticing a film crew who had come out to film a staged moment with the koalas.
Having recovered, the late monarch emerged from the cottage with a smile and said, "Sorry for the short pause. This happens in every marriage. So, what would you like me to do?"«