Princess Anne.Credit : Wiktor Szymanowicz/Future Publishing via Getty

NEED TO KNOW

Princess Anne was seen telling her husband, Sir Timothy Laurence, to “ignore” protesters outside the Commonwealth Day service
Hecklers from the anti-monarchy group Republic held up signs outside Westminster Abbey reading “What did you know?” and “What are you hiding?”
The group has been at the center of several recent royal protests connected to the former Prince Andrew and his relationship with the late Jeffrey Epstein

Princess Anne seems to be keeping a stiff upper lip as the royal family continues to face protesters at their public engagements.

The Princess Royal and her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, were among the royals in attendance at the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey on Monday, March 9. They accompanied King Charles, Queen Camilla, Kate Middleton and Prince William to the annual service, which celebrates the British Commonwealth of Nations.

Outside the Abbey, however, the mood was less jubilant. The family was met with protesters from the anti-monarchy group Republic, who held signs such as “What did you know?” and “What are you hiding?” presumably in reference to the ongoing scandal surrounding the former Prince Andrew and his connection to the late Jeffrey Epstein.

As they entered the service to jeers from the assembled crowd, Princess Anne, 75, was seen seemingly telling her husband, “Don’t listen to them, ignore them,” the Daily Mail reported.

Sir Timothy Laurence and Princess Anne leave the Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey on March 9, 2026.Wiktor Szymanowicz/Future Publishing via Getty

Republic has been at the center of several recent protests against the royal family. The anti-monarchy group also brought the complaint to the Thames Valley Police, which led to Andrew’s arrest on the morning of Feb. 19, his 66th birthday.

The disgraced former Duke of York was held by police for 11 hours while two of his properties were searched. He was later released but remains under investigation for suspicion of misconduct in public office in connection with his correspondence with Epstein.

Andrew was first stripped of his military titles and patronages in 2022, after he attempted to have a sexual assault lawsuit filed against him by Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre dismissed. The following month, he settled with Giuffre out of court for an undisclosed sum. She died by suicide on April 24, 2025.

The former Duke of York has long denied any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein. However, his recent arrest— the first of a royal since 1649, when King Charles I was beheaded for high treason — has led to renewed public outcry about accountability and privilege within the royal family.

“If it comes out that people knew stuff — whether it be members of the family or police or staffers — then heads must roll,” Robert Jobson, author of The Windsor Legacy, recently told PEOPLE.

A palace insider added: “Other events have rocked the monarchy, but something from within — where someone is being arrested — is very different. This is much more serious.”

Protesters outside the Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey on March 9, 2026.Samir Hussein/WireImage

Royal experts say that the controversy over Andrew is even leading to tension between the tightly-closed ranks of the most senior members of the family. While King Charles, 77, finally stripped Andrew of his royal titles last fall due to the Epstein scandal, Prince William, 43, has long been thought to favor an even tougher approach toward his uncle.

“William wants it all cleaned out before he gets [on the throne],” royal biographer Andrew Lownie told PEOPLE for a recent cover story. “He wants it dealt with now.”

Some royal biographers believe William’s desire to clean house of Andrew and his multiple scandals stems from a deeper-seated grudge against his uncle.

In August 2024, journalist Richard Kay spoke with the Mail Online about the animosity between Prince William and his uncle, believed to stem from Andrew’s past treatment of Princess Kate, 44.

“Differences between monarch and heir do remain, especially when it comes to the Prince Andrew scandal,” Kay said. “William has long held a grudge against Andrew for being unwelcoming when he first introduced the then Kate Middleton to the royal family and feels that his father has been too soft on him.”

Royal biographer Andrew Lownie previously told PEOPLE that Andrew “wasn’t nice when Kate came into the family. He thought she wasn’t posh enough,” referring to the Princess of Wales’ “commoner” upbringing.

Lownie added that the disgraced former duke’s preoccupation with aristocratic hierarchy likely makes his recent royal exile especially painful: “Status is everything to him — it’s his only sense of identity.”