The secret of the Queen’s success is to prioritise style over fashion, the Princess Royal has said, as she praises her mother’s longevity ahead of the Platinum Jubilee.

       The Princess, interviewed by a women’s magazine to mark her recent trip to Australia, said the Queen focused on “style” with long-term value, remaining constant as the world changes around her.

       “The Queen and I had a discussion the other day about the difference between fashion and style and I think maybe that’s relevant in the sense that she didn’t do fashion but she certainly does style, and style tends to last longer,” she said.

       “You have an individual style and it’s a quality which has a long-term value.”

       The Princess told Women’s Weekly in Australia that the Queen had an “extraordinary perspective” on current affairs, valuing history while supporting the many different leaders she has worked with in their own right.

       “It’s a very difficult thing to put your finger on,” she said of her mother’s legacy. “I doubt if there’s a single description that would fit the bill.

       “There is an element of constancy here in terms of attitude to service and recognition of service, the values that individuals bring... I think she’s been able to support that and bring those people to the fore in a way that is so important.”

       Of her late father, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Princess described his “unwavering support” for the Queen in the face of a tough start to royal life.

       “I’m sure it wasn’t very easy to begin with because there was no such thing as a role then. He had to invent that one,” she said.

       “I think he also understood the things he was better staying out of – although it was quite difficult in the early days – but there were also distinct areas where he could help and did.

       “His input and perspective and the fact that his travels took him to a slightly different area of the country and internationally could have a real impact. I think he learned how to distinguish when those moments were.”

       The Princess took part in a three-day tour of Australia to mark the Platinum Jubilee, paired with a short trip to Papua New Guinea.

       She first visited in 1970, when she undertook her first walkabout.

       Asked about her memories, she said: “I think there is no way they [the Queen and the Duke] could have prepared you for just how tiring it gets.

       “Suddenly you find that you’ve woken up in the middle of the night having a nightmare that you’re standing in the middle of a reception and you can’t speak.

       “That creeps up on you and I think you just learn to pace yourself. I can now sleep in any form of transport, which does help!”

       Asked whether she had experienced sexism during her life as a working Royal, which saw her placed beneath her younger brothers in the order of succession, she demurred, saying: “I have been treated as an honorary man for a lot of my life.”

       The full interview is available in Australian Women’s Weekly.