Prince Philip's hilarious description of only daughter Princess Anne

Princess Anne and her father Prince Philip shared an incredibly close bond. Both had a similar no-nonsense temperament, dry wit and sense of humour, and a great love of the outdoors.

Anne was the only daughter born to Philip and the late Queen Elizabeth - and palace staff and royal commentators would sometimes joke that Anne was Philip's "favorite son" because her direct, and pragmatic personality completely mirrored his own.

One mutual love father and daughter shared was an equestrian passion. Prince Philip excelled in polo and later revolutionised and competed in carriage driving well into his eighties. 

Princess Anne, meanwhile, became a champion equestrian who won the European Eventing Championship in 1971 and competed in the 1976 Montreal Olympics.

And on one occasion, Philip poked fun at Anne's love of horses with a surprising description. 

Referring to her passion for all things equestrian, he famously joked: "If it doesn't fart or eat hay, she isn't interested."

Of course, Anne had a typically witty response. "That's a slight exaggeration – I do also like dogs, which eat meat, not hay," she said.

The Princess has herself poked fun at her horsey-reputation. "When I appear in public people expect me to neigh, grind my teeth, paw the ground and swish my tail – none of which is easy," she once said of being an accomplished equestrian.

Anne and Philip's special bond

The Princess Royal was born in 1950, a year after the late Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh welcomed then-Prince Charles into the world. The royal couple went on to have their third and fourth children - Andrew and Edward - almost a decade later.

Close friends and family have previously been open about Philip's relationship with his children - with many claiming that Anne was his favourite. The Princess has inherited many qualities from her father, showing her love for sports and dedicating her life as a working royal. Eileen Parker, wife of Philip's close friend Mike Parker, previously revealed via Daily Mail: "[Philip] always had more fun with Anne. Charles is more like the Queen, while Anne is very like Prince Philip."

On the day Princess Anne was born - 15 August 1950 - Philip was promoted to the rank of lieutenant-commander in the Royal Navy. After the birth, he allegedly told everyone: "It's the sweetest girl." When she was growing up in the royal household, Anne confessed that she didn't mind that her parents weren't around much.

"They were supportive and never really quibbled about what you wanted to do," she said, according to royal biographer Ingrid Seward. "There were occasional comments like - 'Was that really a good idea?' I don't think that any of us for a second thought that she [the Queen] didn't care for us in the same way as any other mother did."

Having entered public life at age 18, Anne has dedicated the majority of her time to serving her country. She is often hailed as one of the hardest-working royals.

In 2017, Prince Philip announced his retirement at the age of 96 after 65 years of service. When Anne was asked about whether she would ever slow down on her commitments, she told the BBC in 2010: "Look around at the members of my family who are considerably older than me and tell me whether they have set an example which suggests I might - unlikely."

Philip passed away on 9 April 2021 at the age of 99. Speaking afterwards, Anne said: "Without him life will be completely different."