The Princess Royal left school at 18 with average grades and did not pursue further academic goals. Instead, Anne decided to follow the Queen on her royal tours, she revealed in documentary ‘Anne: The Princess Royal at 70’.
She said: “So many of my contemporaries, when asked why they were going to university, would say, ‘Well basically, because that’s what you do.’
“And I remember thinking really that doesn’t sound like a very good reason to go university, so I thought I would skip that.
“But I also thought that I might have the opportunity to travel with Her Majesty on her tours.
“I did Geography A-level so, for me, it made more sense.”
In fact, Her Majesty’s daughter even referred to university as a “highly overrated pastime” the 2002 Channel 4 documentary ‘The Real Princess Anne’.
Despite not enrolling into higher education, Anne was made Chancellor of more than one university.
In 1981, she was chosen by graduates of the University of London as its Chancellor after the Queen Mother retired.
She is also the Chancellor of the University of the Highlands and Islands, and Harper Adams University in Shropshire.
