Princess Anne is Queen Elizabeth II’s only daughter and will accompany the late monarch as she is moved from St Giles’ Cathedral to Edinburgh Airport. Princess Royal Anne made history on September 12 by taking part in the vigil for her late mother.
The 72-year-old Princess Anne performed the Vigil of the Princes along with her siblings, King Charles III, Prince Edwards, and Prince Andrew. The Queen’s four children joined the Royal Company of Archers and symbolically stood guard around the coffin.
Princess Anne Vigil
Princess Anne represented the Royal Navy during the Vigil of the Princes and became the first woman to take part in the vigil. King Charles III stood vigil near the head of the coffin and wore a kilt. Princess Anne and Prince Edward were wearing their military uniforms.
The funeral procession began on September 11, and the Queen’s coffin left Balmoral, where she passed away and travelled to the Palace of Holyroodhouse. As the Queen’s coffin was being carried into the monarch’s official Scottish residence, her daughter Princess Anne performed a deep curtsy to pay tribute.
The Queen’s children also walked sombrely behind the hearse carrying her coffin as it made its way to the St Giles’ Cathedral, where the Vigil of the Princes took place.
Princess Anne Queen Elizabeth II Bond
The bond between Queen Elizabeth and Princess Anne has been a well-documented one. Their last public appearance together was in July 2022, when the mother-daughter dup opened a new Thames Hospice building in Maidenhead, Berkshire.
Princess Anne and her brother King Charles III were reportedly by their mother’s side at Balmoral when she passed away. They had already been in Scotland when the Queen’s health deteriorated and rushed to her side.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, members of the Royal family had to help their parents navigate technology. In 2020, footage of Princess Anne helping her mother during a Webex meeting was released as a preview for a documentary about the royal. In the clip, Princess Anne asks the Queen, “Can you see everybody? You should have six people on your screen.”
The Queen responded that she could see four people on her screen, and Princess Anne jokingly replied, “Okay fair enough. Actually, you don’t need me. You know what I look like.”
Suggested Reading: Princess Anne Makes History Participating In Vigil For Her Late Mother Queen Elizabeth II