Princess Anne opens the Royal Easter Show in Sydney

Royal Easter Show-goers were charmed by the “down-to-earth” Princess Royal, who swapped her luxurious estate for far humbler digs while down-under.

It seems Princess Anne is applying her much-loved, no-nonsense attitude to her choice of accommodation while she is in Australia to officially open the Sydney Royal Easter Show.

The Sunday Telegraph can reveal the 71-year-old has swapped her stunning country estate in England for the Pullman Hotel at Sydney Olympic Park.

The basic rooms, which are no fuss, much like the princess, can be secured for as little as $400 a night.

They are a far cry from her grand Gatcombe Park property in the UK, which features five main bedrooms, four secondary bedrooms, four reception rooms, a ­library, a billiard room and a conservatory sprawled across 200ha of land.

Stuart Muller, who was lucky enough to speak to the Princess on Saturday, said: “I think it’s wonderful (that she’s staying at the ­Pullman).

Her Royal Highness Princess Anne, The Princess Royal viewed fresh produce while opening the Sydney Royal Easter Show on her three-day visit to Sydney. Picture: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

“She seems like a very down-to-earth person and is absolutely lovely to talk to. She was very interested in what we had on display.”

Jo Williamson, who also spoke to the Princess, said she was “quite warm and just like an average person”.

“She wanted to ask questions that were relevant and was eager to answer questions,” she said.

Royal fan Christine Allison described her as a “princess of the people”.

“She does go out of her way to appeal to others and I think she’s a very good example of royalty,” she said.

Princess Anne's home in Gatcombe Park. Picture: John Li/Getty Images

Her digs at the Pullman Hotel in Homebush are a far cry from her home estate.

Show-goer Cherie Cooper said: “I loved her dress; she looked very sophisticated, beautiful, classy and spent a lot of time with the exhibitors.”

Willow Macpherson, 11, said: “It was so awesome to see a real-life princess, a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

It is understood the Princess will retreat to the hotel for a rest after ­completing her official roles today, ahead of an official dinner.

On Saturday afternoon she attended the judging of a cattle breed.

She made her way into the stadium in a horse-drawn carriage to attend the judging of the British Shorthorn category of the Elders Sydney Royal Beef Cattle Show, a breed she has previously expressed huge personal interest in.

HRH Princess Anne shares a laugh at the judging of the British Shorthorn cattle breed. Picture: Julian Andrews

The Royal Agricultural Soci­ety of NSW chose judge Timothy Lord, the stud master from Bowral’s K.O. Angus stud, to judge and ­officiate before her.

As well as being patron of the Royal Agricultural ­Society of the Commonwealth, Princess Anne is also the president of the ­organisation.

Agriculture Minister ­Dugald Saunders said 2022 was the perfect year for ­ Princess Anne to open the show, with the Royal Agricultural Society celebrating its bicentenary.

“The Royal Agricultural Society has been an influential force in the history of Australian agriculture, and this year’s show is about honouring the past and ­embracing the future,” he said.

“It is humbling to see the vastly innovative and quality work being undertaken in the primary industries sector, and I am proud to be able to share this work with Princess Anne over the course of the show.”