Edward Enninful has praised Princess Anne as a ''true style icon''.

The British Vogue editor is a huge fan of the 69-year-old royal and admires her dedication to sustainable fashion and recycling her outfits.

Edward told Vanity Fair magazine: ''Princess Anne is a true style icon and was all about sustainable fashion before the rest of us really knew what that meant. She is timeless in her style, and she wears a tailored suit better than anyone else I can think of.''

However, Anne brushed aside the praise and joked she is a fan of sustainable fashion because she is ''quite mean''.

She quipped: ''I recycle because I'm quite mean. I still try and buy materials and have them made up because I just think that's more fun. It also helps to support those who still manufacture in this country. We mustn't forget we've got those skills, and there are still places that do a fantastic job.''

Anne - who will turn 70 in August - is president of the U.K. Fashion and Textile Association, and prefers to support British designers whenever she can.

She said: ''I very seldom buy anything which isn't made in the U.K.''

Explaining her love for Harris Tweed, she added: ''It went through a phase when it was very fashionable. For me the point about it is that it looks exactly the same at the end of the day as it did at the beginning. Brilliant.''