Princess Anne reveals why she REFUSES to shake hands with the public during walkabouts – and says it’s ‘weird’ being greeted by crowds armed with phones and iPads

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Princess Anne has revealed why she refuses to shake hands with the public during walkabouts - and says it's 'weird' being greeted by crowds armed with phones and iPads.

The Princess Royal, 68, said the royals 'never shook hands' before as 'the theory was that you couldn’t shake hands with everybody' - a custom that she says she has stuck to. 

However, the Queen began shaking hands with members of the public during the 1970s, and other royals - including Prince Charles and Camilla, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and the Duke and Duke of Sussex have since followed suit. 

In the new Queen Of Our World documentary, Anne admitted she finds it harder to speak to members of the public due to the rise of technology.

Princess Anne has revealed why she doesn't shake hands with the public during walkabouts in the new Queen of the World documentary 

She explained: '[Y]ou had people to talk to, now you don't really. Phones are bad enough, but the iPads - you can’t even see their heads. No idea who you’re talking to.

'I either don’t bother or just say, "Look, if you want to ask me something… I suggest you put that down".

'It is weird. People don’t believe they’ve experienced the event unless they’ve taken a photograph.'  

Discussing why she doesn't shake hands with well-wishers during walkabouts, Anne said: 'We never shook hands.

Anne explained how the royals 'never shook hands' before. Most members of the royal family now do during walkabouts, including the newest member Duchess of Sussex (above meeting well-wishers in Cheshire in June) 

Prince Charles is pictured shaking hands with members of the public in Glasgow in September, where he was joined by wife Camilla (above) 

The Queen began shaking hands with members of the public during the 1970s (above), but previously didn't as 'the theory was that you couldn’t shake hands with everybody' 

'The theory was that you couldn’t shake hands with everybody, so don’t start. So I kind of stick with that, but I noticed others don’t.'

She continued: 'It’s not for me to say that it’s wrong, but I think the initial concept was that it was patently absurd to start shaking hands. It seems to me that it's become a shaking hands exercise rather than a walkabout, so it has changed.' 

Princess Anne stars alongside the Queen and other senior royals in the new documentary, which airs on ITV on Tuesday in the UK and on October 1 on HBO in the US.

On the programme, Harry, 34, reveals he still 'panics' when he bumps into the 92-year-old monarch in the corridors of Buckingham Palace.

In the documentary, Prince Harry says he still 'panics' when he bumps into the Queen in the corridors of Buckingham Palace 

Meghan, who also appears in the Queen of the World documentary, reveals she asked to have a piece of fabric from the outfit she wore on her first date with Harry sewn into her wedding dress as her 'something blue' 

Meanwhile, Meghan, 37, appears in her first television interview as a royal where she discusses taking over Her Majesty's responsibilities in the Commonwealth.

The two-part programme will also see Meghan discuss her being reunited with Givenchy wedding dress and veil. 

 The Duchess shared how she asked for a patch of blue fabric from the outfit she wore on her first date with the Duke of Sussex to be stitched into her wedding gown. 

On hearing the revelation, a female curator of the Royal Collection at Buckingham Palace, where the dress is set to go on display, replied: ‘Oh, that’s about the most romantic thing I’ve heard.’ 

Queen of the World airs on Tuesday at 7.15pm on ITV and on October 1 at 8pm on HBO.