Anne’s f ly-tipper fury
Royal rural champion warns on litter scourge and wind farms as she steps in for stint as guest editor of countryside bible
PRINCESS Anne has told of her huge irritation with fly-tippers and spoken about why we all must take responsibility for the waste we produce.
Anne – a champion of rural issues – also criticised solar panels and wind turbines, saying more imaginative energy sources were required.
She suggested, somewhat controversially, that ‘small nuclear reactors could have their place’.
In a wide-ranging call to arms on how to secure the future of the countryside, the hard-working Princess Royal also spoke of her frustration at the lack of affordable rural housing.
She made the comments in a leader article for Country Life magazine as she took on the role of guest editor to mark her 70th birthday on August 15. In the special edition, published today, she gives a tour of her home, Gatcombe Park, the 500-acre Gloucestershire estate and farm where she has spent lockdown, discussing organic farming methods she uses and the rare breeds she keeps. She also reveals her favourite recipe: devilled pheasant.
In her role as ‘campaigning editor’, Anne sets out her vision for the countryside in a 2,000-word leader column urging everyone to be more careful about waste.
She also pays tribute to her parents for instilling a lifelong love of nature and tells of the influence that Scotland had on them.
She said failing to dispose of waste properly was a ‘major irritation’ to her and that we all needed to get better at reducing it’.
The Mail and Keep Britain Tidy are urging the public and businesses to help pick up litter from September 11 to 27 as part of the Great British September Clean. Everyone is encouraged to hit the streets, parks and beaches to fight the scourge of litter.
In her article, Anne refers to the instability of her father’s childhood before he was introduced to the ‘wilds of Scotland’ at Gordonstoun School, near Elgin, Moray.
Prince Philip moved between relatives in France and Britain and rarely saw his parents. His mother, who suffered from mental illness, was confined to an asylum.
Anne wrote: ‘I was equally fortunate that both my parents had a love and understanding of the natural world through their own experiences. 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.’
She added: ‘Scotland had its influence on my mother, too, as did the big skies of Norfolk, and the huge fields and marshes of the
Sandringham Estate.’ On green energy, Anne said ‘covering the countryside with solar panels and windmills’ was not the answer.
‘Using water better, using waste from crops, using waste from woodlands and the ability to store energy, possibly as hydrogen, can all help, but will require a more flexible grid and, therefore, the technology to make that work. Small nuclear reactors could have their place, but perhaps there is not the space to pursue that now.’
Her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, 65, whom she married at Crathie Kirk, near Balmoral, wrote two pieces for the edition.
One is a light-hearted My Week column on tree-planting and drystone walling, plus – in his role as chairman of English Heritage – a feature on saving country houses.
The magazine’s frontispiece features a set of images of Anne from editions over the years.
North of the Border, she is involved with more than 40 organisations including schools, universities, charities and regiments.
In January, she was awarded an honorary degree from Aberdeen University and is an honorary member of the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland.
But her most high-profile Scottish role is that of patron of the Scottish Rugby Union.
Country Life editor Mark Hedges said: ‘It was an absolute delight to have the Princess Royal as our guest editor. Her passion for the countryside shines through with every feature, combined with her concerns that the right action is taken to safeguard the rural way of life for future generations.’
‘We must get better at reducing waste’ ‘Scotland had its influence’