You can argue about the merits of having a monarchy - and many do - until the cows come home.

Elitist? The legacy of a bygone age? An anachronism in the 21st Century?All these points can be cogently put forward.

To counter you could argue stability and darn sight better than any of the possible alternatives - point me in the direction of a country in the world in which genuine democracy is benefitting everyone.

But putting any personal feelings on the matter aside, you would have to be pretty churlish not to admire the work of Princess Anne who was in East Lancashire yesterday.

The woman is a veritable machine. While the rest of her family suffer misfortunes through ill-health or in several cases self-imposed numptiness (yes that’s you Andrew and Harry) Anne just carries on regardless.

Whatever the weather, whatever the task she’s out there representing the House of Windsor plc.

Debrett’s will probably say it’s unseemly and not something you mention about a lady but we also shouldn’t forget the fact that she’s 73 and shows no signs of slowing down or even pausing to take a breath.

Actually with the General Election looming how about this for a constitutional compromise? Princess Anne for PM - she’d knock some sense of order into Westminster.

WISE OLD OWL