Known for her quick wit and no-nonsense one-liners, Princess Anne has delivered some iconic phrases over the years. She was even touted for coining the phrase “naff off”, which was later revealed to be an inaccurate paraphrase of her hot-headed response to photographers.
The date was 1 May 1982, and keen equestrian the Princess Royal was competing in the Badminton Horse Trials. Then 31, Anne unfortunately fell from her horse, Stevie B, at a jump during the cross-country event, leaving her frustrated as she exited the water.
It was reported that she told photographers capturing her misfortune to “naff off”, which hit the headlines at the time. Decades later, royal photographers clarified that her two-word quip was actually slightly different.
“It’s the naff off picture, when she lost it and told me to naff off, and that created a storm,” said Steve Woods on the 2002 Channel 4 documentary The Real Princess.
“The truth is, we made up the ‘naff’ word to cover up another word,” his colleague Ashley Walton interjected, and Steve added: “I think that might have been in the conversation, but there were a lot of other [expletive] words at the time.”
© Getty ImagesRoyals losing their temper
Known for their calm, level-headed appearances, it seems unusual to see a member of the royal family losing their temper. Aside from Anne’s outburst, there have been other occasions where her brother King Charles and mother Queen Elizabeth showed off their relatable side and let their composure slip.
The King was caught on camera airing his frustration at a leaky pen, just days after his accession to the throne in 2022. As he signed a visitors’ book at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland, he said, “Oh, god, I hate this!” as the ink of the fountain pen began making a mess.
“I can’t bear this bloody thing. Why do they do that every stinking time?” he added, wiping his hands with a handkerchief as he walked away.
Meanwhile, the late Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip’s 73-year marriage had its ups and downs, as proven during their royal tour of Australia in 1954.
While staying in the Yarra Ranges, Victoria, Prince Philip reportedly burst out of a cottage as his wife threw a tennis racket and shoes towards him, according to Robert Jobson in his book, The Windsor Legacy.
© Getty ImagesHe explained that Queen Elizabeth quickly ushered her husband back inside after she spotted a camera crew who had come out to film a staged moment with koalas.
After regaining her composure, the late monarch came out of the cottage smiling and said: “Sorry for the little interlude. It happens in every marriage. Now, what would you like me to do?”
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