The Subtle Way Princess Anne's Mourning Attire Honored The Queen
Anne, Princess Royal, has been by Queen Elizabeth II's side since her coffin left Balmoral Castle on September 11 (via Insider). From Scotland to London, Princess Anne called accompanying her mother an "honor and a privilege," as she said in a statement, according to USA Today. "Witnessing the love and respect shown by so many on these journeys has been both humbling and uplifting," the royal added. Anne also said she was "fortunate to share the last 24 hours of my dearest mother's life," having stayed at the Balmoral Estate before her passing.
Since leaving the estate, Anne has worn several different mourning outfits. As she followed both processions of the queen's coffin in Edinburgh and London, Anne wore a ceremonial military uniform. She was also the first woman to stand in the Vigil of the Princes — a royal practice where the children of the sovereign stand watch beside the coffin (per Town & Country). When not in uniform, Anne's mourning attire includes subtle nods to her mother in her choice of jewelry and accessories.
Princess Anne's handbag came from a place the queen held close in her heart
In the days following Queen Elizabeth II's death, Anne, Princess Royal has been carrying a very distinct handbag bought from the Balmoral Castle Gift Shop (via Hello!). Named the Balmoral Blue Jura Bag and made of black and blue leather by The Leather Guild, it has an additional tartan print made with Balmoral blue tweed.
The Balmoral Estate held a special place in the queen's heart. It was a destination she visited every summer with the royal family (via Town & Country), which the former monarch had done since she was a child. Her granddaughter, Princess Eugenie, once said in a documentary (via the Mirror) that she thought "Granny is the most happy there. I think she really loves the Highlands." She described their times there as full of "walks, picnics, dogs — a lot of dogs, there's always dogs — and people coming in and out all the time." Eugenie said it was "a lovely base for Granny and Grandpa, for us to come and see them up there, where you just have room to breathe and run."
Princess Anne paid tribute to her mother in another very sentimental way
The day before Princess Anne traveled with Queen Elizabeth II's coffin from Scotland to London, she was spotted wearing a pair of pearl earrings designed by Andrew Grima (via Vogue). The earrings were a gift given to her by her parents in the 1960s and the Princess Royal has since worn them on numerous special occasions, as U.K. retailer Steven Stone noted to Women's World. She wore them during her first royal tour when she was nineteen in Australia. She wore them again during her wedding to Timothy Laurence in 1992 and most recently to Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh's funeral in 2021. The earrings were described as her "longest-serving piece of jewelry" by Express, and Princess Anne was also spotted wearing the gorgeous pearl studs during the queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations over the summer, according to Hello!.