It’s hard to picture now, with Princess Anne being one of the most respected and hardest-working royals around, but her very first official trip to the United States didn’t exactly win over American hearts. In fact, it was kind of a flop.
Back in 1970, a then-19-year-old Princess Anne made her US debut alongside her brother, now King Charles, during a two-day visit to Washington D.C. They were fresh off a royal tour of Canada with their parents, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, and this was one of their first times stepping out on their own for an official international trip.
Things started on a high note with a formal White House welcome from President Richard Nixon. The itinerary was packed — they hit the Lincoln Memorial, Mount Vernon, the Smithsonian’s Space Museum, caught a baseball game, and even joined a barbecue at Camp David. The visit wrapped up with a huge White House dinner and dance hosted by the Nixon and Eisenhower families, attended by 700 guests. On paper, it was a royal success.
Instead of focusing on the events or the historic nature of the visit, media outlets zeroed in on Anne’s facial expressions — or lack of them. According to the Express, they even branded her “Princess Sourpuss” for not smiling enough. Royal author Penny Junor reflected on the trip years later, claiming the young royal had come off as “sulky” and reportedly snapped at a journalist, “I don’t give interviews.”
Revisiting the moment in the Channel 5 documentary Princess Anne A Quite Remarkable Royal, journalist Victoria Murphy explained, “This trip was actually quite challenging because she got some negative press as a result of this trip from the US media. They were quite quick to pick up on the fact that she wasn’t smiling very often.”
“They thought that she didn’t look like she was enjoying herself as much as they thought she might,” she added.
To be fair, Anne was only 19 at the time and relatively new to royal duties, and it’s not hard to imagine the pressure of a packed schedule under intense public scrutiny would wear on anyone. And let’s be honest — being dragged from memorials to museums in the sweltering DC summer heat probably doesn’t leave many people grinning from ear to ear.
Royal editor Emma Shacklock noted that Princess Anne’s attitude toward her role has always been about substance over style. “For her, it’s always been about the job and the causes she’s raising awareness for, not the ‘glamour’ of being royal, as many perceive it,” she said.
As for the press attention she received back then, Shacklock added, “I can imagine that having the scrutiny of the press on her, criticising her appearance, was a challenge as it would be for anyone. She’s certainly put this visit behind her, earning the admiration of so many ever since.”
Despite the headlines, President Nixon saw the visit as a win. He called it a reflection of the close relationship between the US and the UK, and between their families. Anne might not have smiled for the cameras, but she’s certainly had the last laugh.