The Princess who won't shake hands with the public

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, according to the Daily Mail, 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.

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.

Meghan Markle has adopted a hands-on approach. Photo / Getty Images

"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.

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.

Prince Harry is known to shake hands with the public. Photo / Getty Images

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."