Behind-the-Scenes Video: Princess Anne Teaches Queen Elizabeth II How To Use Zoom
The British royal family is no stranger to the outdoors. Despite their association with manners and castles, they have a history with dogs, horses and the countryside.
Princess Anne has fond memories of her childhood when she was encouraged to explore nature with the full support and enthusiasm of her parents.
“I was equally fortunate that both my parents had a love and understanding of the natural world through their own experiences,” she told Country Life, according to Metro.
“Perhaps even more so for my father when, during his rather disjointed young life, he ended up at school at Gordonstoun and was introduced to the wilds of Scotland, both land and sea.”
According to a video from ITV, Anne also remembers pressing and identifying flowers when she was younger, and she even offered to do similar activities with her grandchildren — but so far, her children haven’t taken her up on her offer.
For as much as she loves the natural world, she’s no stranger to the digital one. In fact, last month, she joined countless other children who have helped their parents navigate video conferencing.
The only difference, of course, is that Anne’s mother is Queen Elizabeth II.
On June 4, the princess, the queen and four caregivers held a zoom conference in honor of National Carers Week and to hear from these caregivers about their current struggles.
After everyone else was settled, her majesty was introduced by Tom Laing-Baker, her assistant private secretary.
“Ah, good morning at Windsor,” Anne began.
“Good morning,” answered the queen, with none of the muting issues or general flailing that often accompanies joining a video chat. “I’m very glad to have been able to join you.”
“Can you see everybody?” the princess asked. “You should have six people on your screen.”
Elizabeth said she could see only four, but without missing a beat, Anne quipped, “Actually you don’t need me, you know what I look like!”
After the call, one of the caregivers, Alexandra Atkins from Swansea, said the meeting was amazing.
“To have them both talking face to face to us was just unreal,” she said, according to the Independent. “It hit me that I was sitting in my bedroom talking to the princess royal and the queen.”
While Anne seems to be able to navigate Zoom effortlessly, she prioritizes in-person communication and makes a point to avoid the more common forms of social media — especially Twitter.
“With online technology … being in touch is one thing, but it’s not quite the same,” she said. “The ability to meet people, that’s what makes the difference.
“I mean, I know what Twitter is but I wouldn’t go anywhere near it if you paid me, frankly.”
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