• READ MORE: Happy birthday to her royal thriftiness! As Princess Anne turns 76, her decades-old outfits prove she's the ultimate recycler in the Royal Family
• See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source

Princess Anne has welcomed her newest step-granddaughter into the family 'with open arms', it has emerged.

The Princess Royal, who turned 76 on August 15, became a step-grandmother to Georgina following her son Peter Phillips' wedding to Harriet Sperling, an NHS paedriatic nurse specialist, in June.

Georgina, 13, is the new stepsister to Peter's daughters Savannah, 15, and Isla, 14, joining a growing brood of grandchildren who are all part of Anne's close-knit family at Gatcombe Park.

According to a well-placed source, Anne has embraced Georgina's arrival, describing the royal as an 'amazing mother and grandmother' with a natural talent for making people feel at ease, much like her late mother, Queen Elizabeth II.

And while Anne has spent many decades in the spotlight, life with her family is said to be refreshingly informal.

Her children, Peter and Zara Tindall, live close to their mother at her 700-acre Gloucestershire estate, meaning Anne can see her grandchildren regularly during the rare gaps in her packed schedule.

Princess Anne is said to have opened new step-granddaughter Georgina 'with open arms' following her son Peter Phillips' marriage to wife Harriet

Pictured: Peter Phillips and his wife Harriet, with Peter's daughters, Isla and Savannah and Harriet's daughter Georgina (centre) as they attend the Easter Service in Windsor Castle

Savannah and Isla, along with Zara's children Mia, Lena and Lucas, are already familiar faces around Gatcombe - and Georgina has now firmly become a part of that family circle.

It is a very different side to the Princess, who is often seen rushing between official engagements and overseas trips.

Behind Gatcombe's grand pillared entrance is said to be a lived-in family home, filled with dogs, wellies, framed photographs and personal mementos.

Ailsa Anderson, a former communications secretary to Queen Elizabeth II, described it as Anne's 'bolthole', where she can forget about being the Princess Royal and simply be 'Anne'.

She further told Hello!: 'She's a pragmatist, a divorcee herself – and I think, like every parent, she just wants to see her children happy.

'She adores them and it's touching to see her with her grandchildren at horse trials, showing them things and looking relaxed in her jeans.'

Royal author Robert Hardman also described Gatcombe as Anne's 'happy place', saying she is a 'fundamentally a country person'.

He added that her relationship with the younger members of the family is 'very non-nonsense'.

Savannah and Isla, along with Zara and Mike Tindall's children Mia, Lena (pictured) and Lucas, are already familiar faces around Gatcombe - and Georgina has now firmly become a part of that family circle

He said: 'It's very normal; there isn't any standing on ceremony, and she's the only one with a title. She's a very good grandmother. She's hands-on, but like all grandchildren, I think they can get away with things. She dotes on them.'

That family life provides a notable contrast to the extraordinary workload Anne continues to take on even in her mid-seventies.

In 2025, she carried out 478 official engagements, and has completed more than 290 by mid-August this year - with more overseas trips expected before the end of 2026.

The year has already seen her visit several destinations across Europe and Asia.

In February, she travelled to Italy to cheer on Team GB at the Winter Olympics, wearing her trademark wraparound sunglasses and a team jacket.

And in May, she spent three days in Greece, touring Athens and Crete to commemorate the 85th anniversary of the Battle of Crete.

Then in July, she travelled to France to mark the 110th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme before heading to South Korea and Thailand with husband Sir Timothy Laurence.

The busy global trip saw her complete 26 engagements in just five days.

Yet, despite her packed diary, Anne still tries to ride every day when she can and makes time for the people closest to her.

She celebrated her 76th birthday this month in typically understated style, having marked her 75th last year with a sailing trip around the Scottish coast with Tim.

Anderson said of the Princess's remarkable work ethic: 'She does not pause for breath.

'Think about how many other 76-year-olds are putting their feet up, watching TV, and she just carries on. It's all about duty. She inherited that sense of duty and service from both of her parents. I don't think the word 'retirement' is in her vocabulary.'