Princess Anne's Spot In The Queen's Final Procession Was An Even Bigger Deal Than You Think

During the historic funeral services of Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Anne made royal history in how she chose to honor her late mother. As some viewers noted, Anne, Princess Royal, was the only female family member to walk in the funeral procession, joined by her siblings Prince Andrew, Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, and, of course, the new monarch King Charles III (per People).

The significance of Princess Anne walking in the funeral procession is of historical importance, as she is the first royal woman to ever do so in the procession of a monarch. Traditionally, male family members are the ones to follow the casket on foot, while female royals are given formal transportation (per CBS News).

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During Queen Elizabeth II's lying in state period, Princess Anne also made history by being the first woman to participate in the Vigil of Princes, a symbolic ritual in which four individuals stand "guard" around the royal coffin for 10 minutes. Similarly to the procession, Princess Anne was joined by her three brothers in this tradition.

Anne, Princess Royal, who has spoken openly about her close relationship with the late queen, is obviously not going to be deterred by gender traditions when it comes to honoring her late mother. This is something that social media users have both noticed and commented on, with one Twitter user writing, "Princess Anne's looking amazing during the whole procession. She looks tough and dignified. She is absolutely a role model!"