Anne in a mini-skirt and the big Royal Picture of 

the Year that got away

By TERRY PATTINSON

A Daily Express photographer and I were sent to the Chertsey Thames Embankment one night around 1969 to report on Princess Anne arriving for dinner at a riverboat restaurant with her latest unknown boyfriend.

It was our exclusive. No other media present and no crowds.

We waited until she came out and Express cameraman Harry Dempster took the pix.

Harry then put his camera into the boot of his car and we stood on the street corner for a few minutes wondering where we should go for a pint.

Suddenly I felt a tap on my shoulder (Yes, a funny place to have a tap ... Chic Murray.)

It was Princess Anne. She clearly did not know who we were. She said: "My boyfriend's sports car has broken down. Can you help?"

I said: "Can you bump start.? Can you double de-clutch?" She said: "I have no idea what you mean." Nor did her boyfriend.

I said to the boyfriend: "Put your foot down on the clutch and put your engine in second gear. We will push hard and when I say release the clutch raise your foot off the clutch immediately. Hopefully, the car will bump start." 

Harry and I started pushing hard and, to my amazement, Princess Anne joined in. It was the days of the mini-skirt. She was also running in high heels. Her bum was in the air and her thighs were on display.

What a great press photo that would have made.

After a few yards I yelled: "Release the clutch!" And the car started.

Princess Anne blew us a kiss as she jumped into the passenger seat and her unknown boyfriend gave us a wave of thanks as her sped away.

When we realised what a great picture we had missed Harry promised me never to reveal this story until after he was dead.

Obviously we did not tell our news desk or picture desk. What a lovely story that would have made. It could have been Royal Photograph of the Year.

Harry is long dead, so I can now tell that story.

15 September 2024