Princess Anne, often dubbed the ‘hardest-working royal’, remained stoic as she walked behind her mother the Queen’s coffin as it made its way to St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh.
The Princess Royal, who is the second of the Queen’s children and her mother’s only daughter, put on a brave face while she walked alongside her brothers King Charles III, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward as her mother’s coffin left the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
The 72-year-old followed a hearse containing the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II. The hearse was flanked by the Bearer Party of the Royal Regiment of Scotland and the detachment of The King’s Body Guard in Scotland, the Royal Company of Archers.
The Queen will lie in rest in St Giles’ Cathedral until tomorrow, when it will be flown from Edinburgh Airport to London.
The Princess Royal, the Queen’s only daughter, took on perhaps the hardest role this weekend, escorting her beloved mother from Balmoral – where the family had enjoyed so many treasured memories – on her final journey home.
The Princess Royal marched alongside her brothers King Charles III, Prince Edward and Prince Andrew – who was not dressed in military uniform as he is no longer a working royal – behind the Queen’s hearse this afternoon
Princess Anne, known for her dedication to her duties and stoicism, was pictured looking visibly moved as she made the journey from Balmoral to Edinburgh behind her mother’s coffin on Sunday
On Saturday afternoon Anne and her siblings, along with her children Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips (left) appeared outside Balmoral to read tributes that had been left by members of the public to the Queen
The Princess Royal marched alongside her siblings through the streets of Edinburgh as they made their way to St Giles’s Cathedral, where the Queen’s body will lie in state
Princess Anne, 72, who has always been considered a stoic member of the royal family, was visibly moved as she escorted the Queen’s hearse to the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh yesterday – with her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence by her side.
On Saturday, she fought back tears as she and her children, Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall, took a closer look at the many floral tributes left for the Queen at the gates of the Balmoral Estate.
The family were accompanied by her brothers, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Sophie Wessex and Lady Louise Windsor.
While Prince Charles and the extended family returned to England ahead of Saturday’s historic proclamation ceremony and a walkabout to see floral tributes at Windsor Castle, the 72-year-old Princess Royal had taken on the hardest role of all – seeing the late monarch leave her cherished Balmoral for one last time.
Seated next to her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, in the royal Bentley for the six-hour journey from Aberdeenshire to Edinburgh, where her mother will lie in state, the usually stoic Princess Royal couldn’t hide her grief.
The procession cut through villages where the streets were lined with well-wishers silently paying their respects.
A daughter’s grief: Princess Anne, 72, who is known to keep her feelings private, was visibly moved as she escorted the Queen’s hearse to the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh yesterday
Pain writ large: On Saturday, she fought back tears as she and her children, Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall, took a closer look at tributes left for the Queen at the gates of the Balmoral Estate
The Queen’s only daughter, who was known to have a close relationship with the late monarch, took on the hardest role of all – seeing the late monarch leave her beloved Balmoral for one final time
Anne occasionally glanced at those who had turned out to say a last goodbye to the country’s longest reigning monarch, looking visibly distraught.
The Queen’s only daughter was by her side with King Charles when she died peacefully on Thursday aged 96 at Balmoral Castle.
Mother and daughter enjoyed a close bond, which was evident each time they were seen together.
In 1987, Anne was honoured by the Queen with the senior title of Princess Royal, which is traditionally, but not automatically, given by the sovereign to their eldest daughter.
Mother and daughter enjoyed a close bond, which was evident each time they were seen together. (pictured attending the annual Braemar Highland Gathering on September 1, 2018)
In an interview in 2002, Princess Anne defended the Queen against accusations that she was an ‘uncaring mother’.
And the royal joined her mother on one of her final engagements in public, accompanying her to visit a hospice in Maidenhead in July.
In a rare interview for a BBC1 documentary to mark the jubilee, she said it is ‘extraordinary’ for anybody to claim her mother has ever not cared about her children.
Anne said her mother was never uncaring, although protocol demanded that her children and grandchildren have to bow or curtsey to her and she spent a lot of time apart from them.
The Princess Royal looked distraught as she and other members of the royal family attended a church service on Saturday morning
On Saturday, Princess Anne and her daughter Zara Tindall, 41, were deeply moved by the general public’s outpouring of love for the Queen
The Princess royal looked deep in thought at Balmoral on Saturday as she walked towards the Balmoral Estate’s gates after a church service
Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall, who were equally emotional, wiped off tears as they took a look at the tributes left for the Queen
In the interview, Anne explained: ‘I simply don’t believe there is any evidence whatsoever to suggest that she wasn’t caring. It just beggars belief.’
She added: ‘I don’t believe any of us for a second thought that she didn’t care for us in exactly the same way as any other mother did. I just think it extraordinary that anybody could construe that that might not be true.’
The princess said she does not understand people who ask her if she sees the Queen as her mother or as a monarch: ‘She’s my mother and the Queen.’
The Princess Royal looked visibly distraught yesterday as she watched her mother’s coffin leave Balmoral. She escorted the hearse to the Palace of Holyroodhouse
Anne moved royal fans by taking a deep curtsy in front of her mother’s coffin, which was covered by the Scottish standard as t left Balmoral
The Princess Royal could count on the support of her husband, Sir Timothy Lawrence, and her sister-in-law Sophie Wessex, who gently put a hand on her back for comfort
The Princess Royal was deeply moved as she watched her mother’s coffin, which was draped in the Scottish standard as it began its final journey
Shortly before the news of the Queen’s death was announced, the Princess Royal joined other members of the royal family in travelling to Balmoral to be with her mother.
It was only she and Prince Charles who were by her side when she died.
Princess Anne is the mother of silver medal-winning Olympic horsewoman Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips, who runs a sports management firm.
They supported Anne throughout the walkabout today, with both appearing teary eyed at the event.
The Queen’s first grandchild was born to Princess Anne and her first husband, Captain Mark Phillips, on November 15, 1977.
Anne, supported by her husband, stood tall as the Queen’s coffin passed her by in the court of Balmoral Castle on Sunday morning
He studied at the University of Exeter and married Autumn Kelly, a Canadian national, at Windsor Castle in May 2008. The couple had two daughters, Savannah and Isla, before divorcing in 2021.
Peter has enjoyed a decidedly more low-key life than his cousins Prince William and Prince Harry that started with his mother Princess Anne’s decision not to give him and his younger sister Zara, now married to Mike Tindall, any royal titles.
It means Peter and Zara were granted a level of freedom not afforded to titled members of the royal family like William and Harry, and, to a lesser extent, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.
After graduating from the University of Exeter with a degree in sports science, Peter worked for Jaguar as a corporate hospitality manager before taking a position at the Williams Grand Prix Engineering team.
It was on a business trip at the 2003 Montreal Grand Prix where he met Autumn, a former personal assistant who was working as a Budweiser girl at the event.
Not realising he was the Queen’s grandson, the pair embarked on a relationship and Mr Phillips popped the question after a few years of dating.
The newlyweds faced public scrutiny when their wedding photos were sold to Hello! magazine for a reported £500,000 fee.
The episode provoked claims the couple had exploited their royal connections and was branded a ‘serious error of judgement’ by then Lib Dem MP Sir Norman Lamb.
In 2016, Peter spoke candidly about what it’s like to have The Queen as his grandmother.
Appearing on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, the son of Princess Anne and her first husband Captain Mark Phillips admitted that it is a ‘little strange’ but said his childhood was an extremely jubilant one.
Speaking to hosts Kate Garraway and Ben Shephard, The Queen’s eldest grandchild said: ‘I guess it’s a little strange but if you’re growing up with that sort of thing, there’s never really that moment when you go, ‘Oh wow’.’
At the time, he admitted he had a lot of fond memories of growing up as part of the royal household and being so close to The Queen.
‘We had great fun growing up on our holidays, going to stay with her at Sandringham, Balmoral and Windsor and we were incredibly lucky to be able to share a lot of our childhood time with her,’ he said.
‘She’s such an inspiration, not only to the country but to us as a family.’
He continued: ‘You know, her work ethic and her dedication is something that I think the whole family has always inspired to, at least get somewhere near.’
Meanwhile he hinted at the close nature of his relationship with his grandmother when Prince Philip passed away in April 2021.
He said not being able to hug the Queen was the hardest part of the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral.
His sister and Princess Anne’s second child, Zara Phillips, was born on May 15, 1981 in London.
Zara has spoken openly about her pride for her grandmother The Queen, including giving an interview after the monarch addressed the nation amid the coronavirus crisis.
Appearing on GMB, the equestrian, 38, said the poignant television address, where Her Majesty urged the the British public to come together and protect the NHS, was ‘100% what the country needed’ at the moment, adding that she ‘hopes everyone listens’.
‘I think we’re obviously very proud’, said Zara, ‘And what she said is, I think, 100% what the country needed.
‘I hope everyone listens and we can try and get back to normal and support our NHS as much as we can.’
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