Princess Anne made history during the Vigil of the Princes when she took her place beside the coffin of her late mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
The 72-year-old Princess Royal is the first female member of the royal family to “stand guard” at the ceremony held in Scotland on September 12. Anne in her uniform represented the Royal Navy and was the only woman in the royal family who attended state occasions in uniform.
On Monday, September 12, Anne walked behind her mother’s coffin together with her siblings at St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh, Scotland. They formed a line behind their mother’s coffin as they joined the procession from the Palace of Holyroodhouse. .
On September 8, the Buckingham Palace confirmed that Queen Elizabeth II died peacefully. She was 96. Meanwhile, family members immediately went to her Balmoral estate after doctors expressed his concern regarding the queen’s health.
Anne never shared an official statement following her mom’s death. However, Prince Charles who took over the throne after her death said on Thursday, “The death of my beloved mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family. We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved Mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world.”
He added: “During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of respect and deep affection in which The Queen was so widely held.”
The palace announced on September 11 the ongoing funeral processions by stating, “Her Majesty the Queen’s coffin has left Balmoral. Accompanied by the Princess Royal and Sir Timothy Laurence, the cortege will travel to the Palace of Holyroodhouse.”
Meanwhile, Anne and her 67-year-old husband drove to Holyroodhouse from where she died. When her coffin finally arrived, Anne curtsied to her mom’s casket as pit passed by her. Anne and her mother had a strong bond. She was the one who taught her how to video chat during the pandemic.
