‘The Crown’ Breakout Star Princess Anne Also Steals the Show in HBO’s ‘Queen of the World’

Haughty, sarcastic, and devilishly fun, Princess Anne is the undisputed breakout star of The Crown Season 3. From the moment she’s introduced as Prince Philip’s “sweetie,” Anne steals the show with her unwavering confidence and incredible sense of humor. It also doesn’t hurt that actress Erin Doherty plays the Princess Royal (as she’s now known as) like the coolest girl in England. More interested in riding horses and gallant young polo players than fretting over parties and romance, Anne is a magnetic force on The Crown. 

While the public considers the Princess Royal as one of the more low key members of the House of Windsor, royal obsessives have known for years that she is one of the best parts of the royal family. Known in real life for her sharp wit, athleticism, and ability to personally foil kidnapping plots, Princess Anne was destined to be one of the highlights of The Crown. And if you’re hungering for more Princess Anne, you’re in luck. There’s a documentary that you can stream on HBO Go or HBO Now that features the real Princess Anne in all her mesmerizing, incurious glory.

Queen of the World is a hour-long documentary ITV and HBO made last year about the Queen’s Commonwealth. That is, it’s kind of a fancy propaganda film for all the diplomatic world the royal family does in all the nations that used to be part of the British Empire. Back when the film first came out, the big draw was supposed to be behind-the-scenes interviews with newlyweds Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. In fact, a big part of the documentary shows how Meghan Markle took the time to incorporate flowers from all the Commonwealth nations in her bridal veil.

However, Queen of the World also features some delicious interviews with Princess Anne. Older, wiser, and still as sharp as ever, Anne is introduced laughing over memories of sailing on the yacht Britannia. She talks about “sea nannies,” doing chores on deck, and later, snidely mocks members of the royal family (like her brother Prince Charles) who have included handshakes with commoners to their royal appearances.

The Princess Anne we see in Queen of the World is a lot like the one we meet on The Crown insomuch as she really doesn’t seem to give a hoot what the public might think about her. Public appearances are a job for her, and she’s not afraid to complain about them. Anne’s also not scared to voice her honest opinion about, well, everything. Her bluntness is actually enchanting as it’s wholly sincere.

The Crown is a well-researched soap opera inspired by the lives and loves of Britain’s royal family, but Queen of the World is a carefully curated look at who they really are (or want us to believe they are). Luckily for us, Princess Anne is presented as a total hoot in both.

Where to stream Queen of the World

Watch The Crown on Netflix