Royal Expert Explains The Tender Reason Anne Accompanied The Queen's Body - Exclusive
All eyes have turned to certain prominent members of the royal family in the wake of Queen Elizabeth II's death. King Charles III ascended to the throne and gave his first official address, while his oldest son, William, Prince of Wales, addressed the Welsh commonwealth. The bittersweet reunion of William and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, had people wondering whether the brothers were finally ready to reunite. However, one royal in particular is being commended for her service and fortitude, both now and throughout her life: Princess Anne, the Princess Royal. Already Twitter's favorite royal, despite not being in line for the throne, Anne was at her mother's bedside when she died.
Princess Anne was also tasked with the important but heartbreaking duty of accompanying her mother's funeral cortège from Balmoral to the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh. There, she honored the Queen by curtsying before the coffin. Anne will also join the flight that will bring the coffin to London for the five-day period where the queen will lie in state in Westminster Hall.
"The royal family are not just a genetic family, but a representation to the British people of the value of family," explains body language expert Mark Bowden. Speaking exclusively to The List, he adds, "Each member will serve at this time to remind us of the relationships we hold with our own." According to the Daily Mail, the queen herself designated her daughter as the escort, and Bowden has a theory about her reason.
Princess Anne had a unique connection to the queen
It was especially heart wrenching to witness Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, following Queen Elizabeth II's hearse as part of the cortège. She was the queen's only daughter, and as such, she reportedly had a unique relationship with her mother.
Mark Bowden, a royal commentator, body language expert, and founder of Truthplane, spoke to The List exclusively about the moment. "It is a most special honor to accompany the queen's body on its journey across the U.K.," he said. "As the only daughter of the queen, Princess Anne represents to the nation all daughters who lose a mother. This represents a moment for every woman to think of their mother, departed or alive, and recognize the unique and special relationship daughter and mother have."
Anne has always shared a close relationship with Her Majesty, as the two would often attend events together over the years and shared many of the same hobbies and interests. On several occasions, the duo even wore matching outfits — once to the movie premiere of "Murder on the Orient Express" in the 1970s, and once when they attended the Epsom Derby in the 1980s (via Hello!). Princess Anne appeared alongside Queen Elizabeth II as recently as July 2022, in what would prove to be the pair's last public appearance together. According to Town & Country, the Princess Royal and Her Majesty helped "open the new Thames Hospice building in Maidenhead, Berkshire" on July 15.
Princess Anne remains one of the most dedicated members of the royal family
The death of Princess Anne's mother, Queen Elizabeth II, just a year after the passing of her father, Prince Philip, may have been weighing on her mind as she accompanied the queen's hearse from Balmoral. The woman known as "the hardest-working royal," per the Daily Mail, will surely be up to the task of whatever the monarchy requires of her next, as she's known for her longstanding commitment to her family. As the Daily Mail reported, the Princess Royal completed around 387 public engagements on behalf of the royal family in 2021, placing her slightly ahead of her brother, King Charles III.
Anne is seemingly holding onto this title well into 2022, as she continues to undertake numerous appearances, even when other senior working royals were enjoying periods of vacation (via Woman & Home). The Telegraph noted that the Princess Royal has reportedly completed over 20,000 engagements since her 18th birthday, further highlighting her dedication to the monarchy. Princess Anne's latest appearances following the queen's death further amplify the importance of the role she plays within the royal family.