At 75, Princess Anne shows no signs of slowing down. Widely regarded as the hardest-working member of the Royal Family, the Princess Royal reportedly completed over 457 official engagements in a single year. That figure outpaces every other working royal. So what keeps her going? Those close to her suggest the answer is surprisingly simple: Princess Anne’s alcohol-free lifestyle, and has been for years.

Princess Anne Avoids Alcohol: The Habit That Sets Her Apart

Champagne flows freely at charity galas and royal receptions. Yet Princess Anne remains alcohol-free at every event she attends. Her former private secretary, Captain Sir Nicholas Wright RN, confirmed this in the ITV documentary Anne: The Princess Royal at 70. During the interview, he admitted he was “very jealous” of her discipline. For those who have watched her maintain this schedule across decades, the reasoning makes a great deal of sense.

Moreover, being Princess Anne avoids alcohol is not simply a personal preference. Rather, it is a deliberate choice tied directly to the demands of her role. Attending multiple engagements each week takes real focus. Without doubt, alcohol would compromise that entirely.

A Teetotal Pattern Within the Royal Family

Interestingly, Princess Anne is not alone among the Windsors in choosing to go alcohol-free. Her younger brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, has also spoken openly about his own abstinence. During a 2005 visit to New Zealand, Andrew told the Mirror he had been teetotal since his teenage years, saying the experience had “poisoned” his taste for alcohol. Furthermore, he told the Evening Standard he did not have “the head for it.”

Both siblings independently arrived at the same decision. For people with packed diaries and constant public scrutiny, choosing to remain alcohol-free is not a sacrifice. In fact, it is a strategy.

When Royal Pressure Leads the Other Way

Not every royal has responded to public life in the same way. Prince Harry, now 41, spoke candidly to Oprah Winfrey in 2021 about using alcohol and other substances to cope. He admitted he was “willing to drink” and “willing to take drugs” to feel less of what he was feeling. As a result, his words became a widely cited reminder of how easily stress can push people toward drinking.

Similarly, the late Princess Margaret struggled with the same pattern. According to Andrew Morton’s 2021 biography Elizabeth and Margaret: The Intimate World of the Windsor Sisters, she was drinking and smoking excessively during a difficult period in 1966. Pressure built, and alcohol filled the gap.

In contrast, other working royals take a more moderate approach. King Charles reportedly enjoys a 50/50 gin and dry vermouth martini before dinner. Meanwhile, the Prince and Princess of Wales have occasionally been photographed enjoying a pint. The late Queen reportedly favoured a Dubonnet and gin cocktail passed down from the Queen Mother.

Why Princess Anne’s Alcohol-free Lifestyle Supports Long-Term Health

The science strongly supports what Princess Anne appears to have understood instinctively. According to the NHS, even moderate alcohol consumption disrupts sleep, weakens concentration and raises stress levels over time. Additionally, a 2018 study published in The Lancet, drawing on data from 195 countries, concluded that the safest level of alcohol consumption is zero. For someone attending hundreds of engagements each year, that research carries real weight.

Because Princess Anne has remained teetotal across a long and high-profile career, the energy she brings to every appearance stays consistent. Rather than managing the effects of the night before, she shows up sharp. That kind of reliability over decades is not accidental.

A Quiet Choice With a Loud Track Record

There is something genuinely worth considering in the Princess Royal’s approach. Although alcohol is routinely used to ease nerves or mark occasions, choosing to remain alcohol-free at every event, year after year, is uncommon. Nevertheless, it is a choice that has clearly served Princess Anne well.

By any measure, she holds one of the most impressive records of public service in the modern Royal Family. While no single habit explains that entirely, staying Princess Anne alcohol-free throughout a lifetime of engagements is almost certainly a significant part of it.

For anyone thinking about the role drinking plays in their own life, her example is worth considering. Ultimately, consistency and clarity rarely come from a glass. They tend to come from choices made quietly, and kept.

Source: dbrecoveryresources