Princess Anne is the only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. She had a very close relationship with her late mother.

On the day Queen Elizabeth II passed away (September 8), the only two people present at the moment she breathed her last breath were Prince Charles and Royal Princess Anne, his sister. During that time, Princess Anne also accompanied her mother during her last summer at Balmoral Castle, the Royal home in Scotland.

In a subsequent statement on September 13, she confided her feelings during the last moments of being with her mother. ” I was very fortunate to share the last 24 hours of my beloved mother’s life. Accompanying her on her final journey was an honor and a privilege. Witnessing the love and respect The appreciation of so many people on that journey makes me feel humbled and cheered up a bit. We will all share unique memories .”

While the Queen’s coffin was carried from Balmoral to Edinburgh in the early days of funeral planning, Princess Anne was the only member of the Royal Family to accompany her mother throughout the six-hour journey.

When the Queen’s coffin arrived at Holyroodhouse Castle in Edinburgh, the public caught the moment her only daughter humbly bowed – something she had done for 70 years of her life every time she met her. monarch.

When she arrived in the Scottish capital, she continued with her three remaining brothers to process her mother’s coffin on the Royal Mile, then stood guard at the four corners of the coffin, remaining silent for 10 minutes during the ceremony at St Giles Cathedral.

Always be grateful and defend your mother

Princess Anne was born in 1950, the second child and only daughter of Queen Elizabeth and her husband Philip. She was just 2 years old when her mother took over the throne in 1952 and was given the title Princess Royal more than 30 years later, in 1987, as a tribute from the monarch to the eldest daughter.

The Queen (pictured as Princess Elizabeth) holding her newborn daughter Anne at Clarence House, 1950.

While Anne and her siblings had a childhood unlike that of ordinary children, she also shared many warm memories with her parents when the Royal Family spent time alone on vacations, after real time. perform obligations to the country.

Princess Anne as a child with her mother and brother Charles.

The late Queen loved her family’s “getaways”, Princess Anne added, “partly because they included all the things she loved, like the countryside, dogs, horses and simply being free from the public eye.”

It is undeniable that duty to the nation, especially the constant trips during the first years of her reign, has affected the Queen’s bond with her children. At one point, when she first ascended the throne, she was away from home for half a year. However, Princess Anne never expressed a negative attitude or felt abandoned during her childhood.

On the contrary, with her strong personality, she always supports her mother’s decisions. In an interview with the BBC, the Princess spoke firmly that there is no evidence to prove that the Queen does not care about her children.

Royal historian Robert Lacey, who also served as a consultant for a television series about the British Royal Family, confirmed that the Queen and her mother became close during Princess Anne’s teenage years thanks to their shared love of Princess Anne. Horses and fashion. Although there have been reports for many years of Queen Elizabeth’s reliance on nannies for childcare, according to Lacey, she enjoys bathing her children, reading them bedtime stories, and tucking them in with blankets every night. .

Regarding the fact that the Queen once received criticism for staying at Balmoral Castle with her two grandsons rather than returning to London to pay tribute after the tragedy that led to the death of Princess Diana, the Princess also frankly defended her mother.

She believes that the decision to stay with William and Harry at that time was completely correct and conscious: ” I think my mother did exactly the right thing .” She clearly expressed her opinion that she could not send her two grandsons back to London during that time of crisis but had to leave them with their family, people who could really share and comfort them.

Inspirational marriage

The Princess Royal, like her brothers, greatly admired the late monarch – for her service to her country, as a mother and also in view of her 73-year marriage her relationship with the Duke of Edinburgh, who died more than a year before her.

In a 2017 interview with ITV, Anne also revealed that for her parents, a sense of connection between husband and wife was very important. The princess had two marriages, once with her ex-husband Mark Phillips from 1973 to 1992, and the second with her current husband, Timothy Laurence. According to her, after all, her parents’ long-lasting marriage taught her many lessons about relationships.

The Queen welcomed her first grandchild when Princess Anne gave birth to Peter Phillips in 1977.

Like her parents, the Princess decided her first wedding would be held in November, winter time in England, and wear her grandmother’s heirloom crown.

Princess Anne at her first royal wedding in 1973.

For her second wedding, Princess Anne also chose a winter time, when the wedding was held in December in Scotland. While the Princess getting married at the same time of year as her mother might not seem like a big deal, it’s worth noting that winter weddings are rare for royal brides.

For example, some of the most recent royal weddings took place in May (Prince Harry with Meghan Markle) and April (Prince William with Kate Middleton).

“Like Mother like daughter”

On countless occasions when they appeared together in public, Princess Anne always “imitated” her mother’s outfits and style. Body language analysis experts also agree that she has a very good relationship with her mother.

The Queen and her daughter are famous for their similar dressing styles.

Expert Judi James commented that the relationship between the Royal mother and daughter is especially close and natural, without seeming distant. They also often show their similar sense of humor and chemistry through shared smiles or raised eyebrows.

In particular, Judi believes that Princess Anne has the most stoic, hard-working, practical, and extroverted personality among her children, all of whom are the most similar and closest to Prince Philip. Therefore, her role in the Queen’s public duties may have been a perfect replacement for the Prince after his official retirement in 2017.

Gestures between two people show a particularly close relationship.

Judi said: ” Like her father, Anne appeared to make the Queen laugh and most of the gestures between the two women suggested a lighthearted sense of humour, highlighting a side of the Queen that we rarely seen.

Both women shared a passion for horses and, when not on duty, they often dressed identically, in the style of country women, in tweeds, felts and headscarves. If the Queen did not inherit the crown then she would probably pursue a similar lifestyle to her daughter .”

Princess Anne is also one of Queen Elizabeth’s favorite members when accompanying her on official Royal activities, according to an article on Tatler from June 2021. Accordingly, the Queen spent a week traveling around Scotland during “Royal Week” and was accompanied by her daughter, with photos showing the intimate relationship between the two.

In celebration of her daughter’s 71st birthday, in August 2021, the Queen shared many photos of mother and daughter at different events, always looking excited with the other’s presence.