Opinion

How sad that his good work, which has brought back fond memories of his mother's unparalleled public relations skills, should be undermined by the bluntness of The Princess Royal at Sandringham on Christmas Day.

The Queen's daughter - well known for her straight-talking - was reported to have snatched a basket of flowers lovingly made by 75-year-old Mary Halfpenny and snapped: "What a ridiculous thing to do."

She went on to tell her nieces Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie to "get a move on" and not take flowers from well-wishers.

Mrs Halfpenny had waited for five hours in the cold from 6am to see the Royal party. That in itself may seem a ridiculous thing to do by those less infatuated by the Royals.

But for Mrs Halfpenny, who has been an ardent royalist all of her life, it was worth the wait for a glimpse and perhaps a kind word. So imagine her disappointment to come face to face with the princess's impatience and rudeness.

The Princess Royal had no doubt had a trying weekend, coping with the shock of her own daughter Zara's close shave in a car crash on Friday. It was cold and she no doubt couldn't wait to get indoors and relax in privacy with her family.

But none of that can excuse a basic lack of manners in front of people who simply wanted to wish the Royals well.

One young woman, who had spent £2,000 travelling from California, said she had learned a lesson that would not be forgotten: "No more flowers, no more gifts."

Irritating though it may be to spend time with spectators on cold days, the Royal Family cannot afford to throw good wishes back in people's faces. The Royals need all he friends they can get.

Perhaps someone should remind The Princess Royal that it is supposed to be the season of goodwill - and tell her that upsetting committed supporters really is a ridiculous thing to do.