London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Aug 08, 2026

Behind-the-scenes moment Princess Anne teaches her mother the Queen how to use Zoom during first public video call - in a sneak peek of upcoming ITV documentary to mark her 70th birthday

When the Queen took part in her first public video call from Windsor Castle last month to support the nation's carers, it was Princess Anne who assisted her mother on Zoom.

Most of us have had to help our elderly parents navigate modern technology to keep in touch during lockdown - and the Princess Royal is no exception.

When the 94-year-old Queen took part in her first public video call last month to support the nation's carers, it was Princess Anne who assisted her mother on Zoom.

In a sneak preview of an upcoming ITV documentary to mark the royal's 70th birthday, Anne asks Her Majesty: 'Can you see everybody? You should have six people on your screen.'

When the Queen replies: 'Yes, well I can see four anyway,' the princess is quick to remark: 'Actually, you don't need me. You know what I look like!'

The amusing clip, shared on Twitter by ITV News Royal Editor Chris Ship this evening, has left royal fans praising Anne for her humorous antics.


One social media user wrote: 'One is amused. Awesome,' while another added: 'Puts a smile to my face!'

A third said: 'Brilliant. Princess Anne is great and it's been lovely watching the Queen Zoom during lockdown. Can't wait to watch this.'

At the start of the clip, which took place during National Carers' Week, Anne is seen waiting for her mother to enter the call from Windsor Castle.

'It's Tom here,' the Queen's Assistant Private Secretary Tom Laing-Baker says as the pair tune in. 'I'm just going to introduce Her Majesty The Queen.’

Anne is then heard saying: ‘Ah. Good morning at Windsor,’ before the Queen replies: ‘Good morning. I'm very glad to have been able to join you.’

The Queen joined the Princess Royal on the conference call in June with four carers living across the UK who have been responsible for looking after family during the coronavirus crisis.

Speaking from a sitting room at the castle, the monarch spent 20 minutes listening to the women about their experiences and asking questions about the pressures they face.

The new documentary, Princess Royal: Anne at 70, which airs ahead of her milestone birthday in August, also sees Anne reveal her views about one of social media's most popular platforms, Twitter, saying: 'I wouldn't go anywhere near it if you paid me frankly.'

Many royals, including Prince Charles, Prince William and Prince Harry all have social media accounts but Princess Anne's work is shared on the Queen's Royal Family platforms.

Commenting on social media Anne says: 'With online technology... being in touch is one thing but it's not quite the same. 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. But that's a slightly different issue.'

Anne was followed for more than a year by film-makers for the documentary, which will feature unseen family footage and conversations with the princess herself, her children and her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Australian Crew Evacuates Seriously Ill American From Antarctica in Midwinter Darkness
Trump’s Top General Seeks an Exit Strategy From Iran War, Report Says
Brock Lesnar Retires From Wrestling, Closing a Career of Rare Athletic Range and Lasting Controversy
Trump-Era Policy Shifts Test the Boundaries of U.S. Institutions
UK Drought Cuts Harvests and Raises Food-Security Fears
UFO: Pentagon Releases Video of Unidentified Object Tracked Over Middle East
US Health Secretary: “I’m Not Afraid of Germs — I Used to Snort Cocaine Off Toilet Seats”
Ukraine Tells Senate Republicans Its Drone War Offers a Blueprint for America
Weight-Loss Drug Boom Tests the Limits of Prescription Advertising Rules
Trump Keeps Hegseth at Pentagon While Leaving Door Open for DeSantis
UK Clears Paramount’s Warner Bros. Discovery Deal, but US Trial Looms
UK Prosecutors Add 38 Charges Against Andrew and Tristan Tate
Taiwan’s President Joins Wartime Command Drill as China Pressure Grows
Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan Sign Mutual-Defence Pact
Government Orders Review of Prison Release Rules After Concerns Over Grooming Gang Offenders
Rail Disruption Continues Across North-West England Amid Infrastructure Problems and Engineering Closures
UK Tax Authority Proposes Broad Changes to Rules Governing Company Distributions
UK Government Moves to Protect Standing Areas Outside Pubs From Local Restrictions
Extreme Right-Wing Referrals Under UK Prevent Programme Rise 42 Percent
EU Citizens in UK Warned That Some Residency Rights May Have Been Granted in Error
Every Monitored Body of Water in England Fails Chemical Purity Standards, Government Data Shows
UK Scientists Create First Artificial Intelligence-Designed Viruses
England Orders Primary Schools to Identify Children at Risk of Becoming Disengaged From Education or Work
Government Moves to Close Prison Release Loophole Amid Concern Over Grooming Gang Offenders
UK Economy Shows Modest Growth Despite Energy Volatility and Global Supply Pressures
Police and Prosecutors Failed to Stop Sex Offender Who Later Murdered Two Women, Review Finds
Millions in England Face Longer Mental Health Waiting Times as NHS Providers Cut Spending
Met Office Warns of Heatwave as Temperatures Across England and Wales Could Reach 36 Degrees Celsius
HMRC’s 2029 Tax Shift Could Overlap Old and New Self-Assessment Bills
Thetford Disorder Prompts Expanded Police Powers Amid Asylum-Housing Protests
Cambridge Faces Calls for Independent Review of Jason Arday Appointment
Scotland’s ‘Cock of the North’ Woodland Is Being Felled After Wind Damage
Reform UK and Greens Unite Against Vast Solar Plans for Kent Marshland
New Zealand Draws Wealthy Americans With Revamped Investor Visa
Senate Panel Votes to Hold Anthony Fauci in Contempt After Fifth Amendment Testimony
Cambridge Professor Jason Arday Resigns as University Opens Inquiry Into His Credentials
Manchester Power Failure Disrupts Trains Across North West Into Friday
UK Fashion and Tourism Sectors Prepare for Strong Summer and Autumn Activity
London Residents Seek Appeal Against Approval for Chinese Super-Embassy Development
UK Environment Officials Issue Biosecurity Alert Over Rising Bluetongue Cases in Livestock
UK Charity Regulator Opens Investigations Into Donations Linked to Israeli Settlements
Gatwick Expansion and Chinese Embassy Plans Highlight Growing UK Infrastructure Disputes
UK Agriculture Authorities Warn of Rising Bluetongue Virus Cases Among Sheep Farms
UK Watchdog Finds Electronic Monitoring Failures Leaving Some Offenders Without Timely Alerts
Metropolitan Police Investigate Covent Garden Knife Attack That Injured Four Men
UK Government Confirms Severe Terror Threat Level as Prevent Programme Expands
Diageo Plans Guinness Expansion While Cutting Jobs Through Global Restructuring Programme
Bank of England Keeps UK Borrowing Costs Stable While Markets Await Future Rate Cuts
Gatwick Airport Wins Approval for Second Runway Expansion After Legal Challenges Fail
Apple Challenges UK Government Over Demand for Access to Encrypted iCloud Data
×