Prince Philip thinks that it's impossible for the children of the royal family to have a "normal upbringing" despite what Princess Anne has done for her children, Peter and Zara, and what Prince Harry plans for his son, Archie Harrison.
In the biography Princess Anne, author Nicholas Courtney revealed that the Duke of Edinburgh discussed royals who insisted on a normal upbringing for their kids. Prince Philip's stand on this matter is that such a mindset will instantly pose a problem since the sons and daughters of the royals are "not the same as ordinary children."
The Duke of Edinburgh also said that it's impossible to expect royal children to get the same treatment as everyone else. Queen Elizabeth's husband further clarified that a normal upbringing could mean that royal kids must also experience the same disadvantages as the children of commoners. However, Prince Philip believes that royal children have their own disadvantages as they are "known by name and association" and could be treated so much worse because of it.
Because of this, Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth didn't challenge the "accident of birth" of their children and instead acknowledged their situation. But still, a few members of the royal family have made efforts to raise their kids without the royal spotlight shining on them.
Princess Anne refused the Queen's offer for titles for her husband and her children since she doesn't want their lives under public scrutiny. Zara's father-in-law, Phil Tindall, told People that she's pleased her mother decided they wouldn't have any titles as it took off the pressure of being a member of the royal family.
In an interview with Vanity Fair, Anne said that her children had easier lives growing up compared to Prince William and Prince Harry, the sons of Prince Charles, her older brother. Zara and Peter were able to pursue their own paths from the onset and are not working for The Firm.
This was what Harry and Meghan also aspired for in their lives and their son. Shortly after Archie was born in 2019, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex decided to quit their royal duties and become financially independent from the royal coffers. They also refused a royal title for Archie, who will be carrying the Mountbatten-Windsor family name.
Meanwhile, Anne did acknowledge that her own upbringing as the daughter of the monarch was unusual. But as a child, the Princess Royal was already challenging boundaries and royal protocols. Charles, on the other hand, felt weighed down by his future responsibilities as the King of the United Kingdom when their mother passes away.
But Courtney said that like any other siblings who were close to each other's age, Charles and Anne fought like cats and dogs. Anne apparently recalls that there were chaos and discord in their royal household because of the two of them.
Today, however, Anne and Charles are close to each other. Anne never tried to overshadow his older brother even if she was more confident than Charles. She said she has accepted that she is the second-born child of the monarch when she was still younger but Anne is apparently the favorite child of Prince Philip.
