Princess Anne braves 30 degrees heat with ‘over the top’ formal accessory

Princess Anne, 72, visited The Carers’ Support Service in North East Lincolnshire, as seen in new photographs taken on Monday.

As the continuous heatwave brought temperatures as high as 30°C to the UK, Princess Anne braved the heat to meet with carers.

Carers’ Support wrote on Twitter: “We are delighted to share some of the photos from Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal’s visit on Monday.

“The Princess Royal saw first-hand the activities and support family carers in our area receive.”

The mother of two, who always looks flawless, wore a summery white tea dress embellished with blue flowers.

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However, she did wear a formal accessory that may have confused some of her royal followers.

Princess Anne opted to add a pair of blue gloves to her outfit despite the soaring temperatures.

The royal’s decision to wear a winter accessory during the height of summer seemed out of place for many fans, even though it went nicely with her pristine navy jacket and blue leather shoes.

Twitter user @FredAstep wrote: “Just an observation, but the gloves seem a bit over the top for daytime. Is it a hygiene thing?”

Princess Anne might be modelling her fashion after her late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, who seldom ever appeared in public without gloves.

The late monarch’s simple gloves, which became associated with her instantly recognised style, were actually worn frequently to avoid spreading infections.

Queen Elizabeth was reportedly rarely spotted without her gloves on for two key reasons, according to Genevieve James, the Creative Director of upscale glove manufacturer Cornelia James.

She said: “They’re number one: style. Number two: practical. They’re necessary because if you’re the Queen, you’re shaking a lot of hands, so they protect her hands as well,” she told Good Housekeeping.

Princess Anne completed her stunning blue outfit with three stands of pearls around her neck, another tribute to the late Queen’s favoured jewellery.

Throughout her 70-year reign, Her Majesty was rarely seen without her go-to pearls, which were generally acknowledged as a part of her official royal “uniform”.

Princess Anne also wore a wreath-shaped brooch that she previously wore earlier this year. The stunningly detailed three-flower, three-leaf brooch is made of 18k yellow gold and has a hefty price tag.

The piece is worth about £4,500, according to jewellery expert Zack Stone of Steven Stone, one of the finest jewellery stores in the UK.