Princess Anne's forbidden hobby revealed
Princess Anne has shared a rare insight into her private life away from the spotlight.
During her two-day visit to South Africa, The Princess Royal, 74, opened up about her hobbies, revealing that she was never allowed to sail dinghies.
She made the revelation while chatting to a group of young women hoping to be picked for Royal Cape Yacht Club's entry to Cape2Rio.
Recounting Anne's visit, Jennifer Burger, manager of the sailing academy at the RCYC in Cape Town, said: "She said to the girls 'you're all going to have to learn to live together on the boat'.
"She said she was never allowed to sail dinghies, and she windsurfed for fitness."
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Anne's visit took place on the final day of her tour during which she also toured the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation, which keeps alive the memory of the former archbishop of Cape Town awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1984 for his opposition to apartheid in South Africa.
In her role as President of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Anne also unveiled a new memorial to commemorate more than 1,700 predominantly Black South Africans who died in World War I between 3 and 14 August 1914 and who have no known gravesite. The memorial has been named the Cape Town Labour Corps Memorial.
Anne was originally due to be joined by her husband Sir Timothy Laurence, but he was forced to pull out of the tour last minute as he is recovering from a suspected torn ligament.
It's understood that the retired Royal Navy officer was injured while working on Anne's Gatcombe estate.
King Charles's sister last visited South Africa back in 2012 to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee.
Princess Anne's myriad hobbies
Aside from sailing, Princess Anne has many unexpected hobbies tucked up her sleeve. One of her main passions is horse riding, with the equestrian becoming the first member of the royal family to have competed in the Olympics.
She also won a gold medal at the European Eventing Championships in 1971 and two silvers in 1975.
Beyond this, she is also a keen pharologist and has previously spoken about her desire to visit all of the lighthouses in Scotland.
She is patron of the Northern Lighthouse Board and even penned an introduction to a book on the topic in 2015, writing of the "remoteness and exceptional natural beauty" of lighthouses.
Retired Northern Lighthouse Board Manager John Pirie exclusively told HELLO!: "I have met Princess Anne a couple of times and she loves spending time on Northern Lighthouse Board ships where there is a cabin with her name on a brass plaque on the door.
"She is also renowned for sailing her yacht on the West Coast of Scotland. As part of the Royal family, Princess Anne spent time on Britannia in the Western Isles going ashore on the islands around Barra for picnics."
