The royal tradition Princess Anne broke so she could 'shelter' her children

Princess Anne broke royal protocol to 'shelter' Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall from heavy palace burdens by not accepting their birth-given titles, it's been claimed.

• Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips 'relieved' their children of royal customs that would align with their official titles.
• Commentators claim Princess Anne was 'very conscious' about the tough decision to not give her kids HRH titles. 
• This royal news comes after Meghan Markle responded to bullying claims by Kensington Palace staff .

In a new Channel 5 documentary, it's explained how The Princess Royal and her husband decided against giving Zara and Peter royal titles in a move that strayed from royal tradition.

Despite being in the royal line of succession and grandchildren of the Queen, Zara and Peter aren't a princess and prince.

During the new doc, titled Zara & Anne: Like Mother, Like Daughter, Narrator Jennifer Saayeng acknowledged the hardship the children could face without their royal titles. 

"This was no small decision. Unlike her cousins, Beatrice and Eugenie, Zara would not be a Princess. No curtsying, no honours, but crucially much more freedom."

Royal commentator Wesley Kerr told Channel 5 during the taping, "Much more of Anne's life as a child was public than Zara's life as a child. Anne was very conscious that she wanted her kids to have a slightly more sheltered upbringing than she'd had."

It's also claimed that Zara, who is pregnant with her third child, and Peter are happy to have grown up without HRH titles.

Royal journalist Katie Nicholl explained, "If you speak to either Zara or Peter, they will also tell you that not having the burden of titles has enabled them to live ordinary lives."

Princess Anne spoke out ahead of the documentary in an interview with Vanity Fair last year where she stood by her decision, saying, "I think it was probably easier for them. I think most people would argue that there are downsides to having titles so I think that was probably the right thing to do."