Final farewell. Princess AnneAt the funeral for Queen Elizabeth II’s late mother, Elizabeth II, she wore a ceremonial military uniform.
The Princess Royal, 72, attended the service on Monday, September 19, at London’s Westminster Abbey alongside other members of the royal family, including brothers King Charles III, Prince AndrewAnd Prince Edward. Andrew, 62 was the only one who wore his military uniforms, as he had lost his royal titles in January.
Anne joined her brothers, sons. Peter PhillipsNephews Prince WilliamAnd Prince Harry during Monday’s processional as they all accompanied the queen’s casket from Westminster Hall to Westminster Abbey for her state memorial. Anne and her siblings walked side by side to Wellington Arch, which was accompanied on horseback by Canadian Mounties.
Anne was the sole child of Elizabeth and Prince Philip. He died in April 2021 at 99. The Olympian sent a heartfelt message to Anne revealing that she was with her mother on her last day of life, days before her parents were reunited at their final resting place.
“I was fortunate to share the last 24 hours of my dearest Mother’s life. It was an honor to accompany her on her final journeys. Witnessing the love and respect shown by so many on these journeys has been both humbling and uplifting,” Anne wrote in a statement shared via the royal family’s official Instagram account on Tuesday, September 13. “We will all share unique memories. I offer my thanks to each and every one who share our sense of loss.”
Alongside a smiling photo of the mother-daughter duo, Anne continued: “We may have been reminded how much of her presence and contribution to our national identity we took for granted. As Charles accepts The Monarch’s additional responsibilities, I am so grateful for the understanding and support that was offered to me. To my mother, The Queen, thank you.”
One day later, the princess joined her brothers during the royal procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall, where Elizabeth’s coffin laid in state before her funeral. Ahead of the queen’s arrival back to her London palace, Anne was present to view tributes in Balmoral, Scotland, where Elizabeth died at age 96 on September 8.
The late monarch’s coffin later left Balmoral accompanied by Anne and her husband, Sir Timothy LaurenceShe wed her husband in 1992. The couple made the six-hour drive from Balmoral to the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, Scotland, where a processional to St Giles’ Cathedral took place. As she paid her respects to her late mother before the procession on September 11, Anne dipped into a curtsey in front of Elizabeth’s coffin.
Anne and the longest-reigning British monarch were close friends before her death. Elizabeth became queen in 1952 when her daughter was only 2 years old. She remained in power for 70 more years. Anne, now 16th on the line for the throne was there with her mother as she celebrated her Platinum Jubilee.
The equestrian was a champion for Her Royal Highness throughout her reign, even defending Elizabeth against critics who didn’t agree with her choice to remain with Prince WilliamAnd Prince HarryAfter the 1997 death of Princess Diana, their mother, in Scotland.
“I don’t think either of those two would’ve been able to cope had they been anywhere else,” Anne recalled in a 2017 interview with ITV, adding that being near family “was the only good thing that happened” to her nephews at the time. “I think my mother did exactly the right thing. I think it’s absolutely extraordinary that any right-minded parent should believe … [there]It would have been a better alternative to bringing those children down to London in all that hooha. I just don’t know how you can think that would’ve been a better thing to do.”
Anne also showed her silly side during a recent video call with Queen Elizabeth amid the coronavirus pandemic. “Can you see everybody? You should have six people on your screen,” she asked Elizabeth in a clip from the ITV documentary Anne: The Princess Royal at 70The show aired July 2020.
When Elizabeth replied that she could only see four participants, her daughter quipped back, “You don’t need me. You know what I look like.”
