But he is considered one of the most hardworking members of the royal family. And this week, she was the only one of her siblings to accompany her mother’s coffin as it made its journey on a six-hour drive through Scotland, from Balmoral Castle in Edinburgh and then on a flight to London. “I was lucky enough to share the last 24 hours of my dear mother’s life. It was an honor and a privilege to accompany her on her final journeys,” Anne said in a statement late Tuesday. She said the Queen’s home stretch experience among the crowds was “humbling and uplifting” and said her “thanks to everyone who shares our sense of loss”. Queen’s funeral: World leaders’ plans come to fruition, with Biden to attend Although she has never served in the military, 72-year-old Anne, known as the Princess Royal, holds a number of ceremonial titles and was seen in military regalia walking mournfully behind her mother’s cortege in Scotland. She also attended a traditional church vigil there, alongside her brothers Charles, Andrew and Edward. It was thought to be the first time a female member of the royal family had done so. Anne was “always a hard worker, no nonsense,” Dickie Arbiter, a royal commentator and former press secretary for the queen, told The Washington Post on Wednesday. “She’s been absolutely stoic and terrified” since her mother’s death last week, he added. “I was lucky enough to share the last 24 hours of my dear mother’s life. It was an honor and a privilege to accompany her on her final journeys. “Seeing the love and respect shown by so many on these trips was humbling and uplifting.” – The royal princess — The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 13, 2022 In the Arbiter’s view, Anne has not been “overshadowed” so much as ignored and “ignored by the media”. He recalled that he would make stops on trips to and from London to line up extra work opportunities or visit charities, always arriving home late. Describing her as a “workaholic”, he said Anne is “very much someone who works for her charities”, adding: “She didn’t take them on just to be fancy”. Anne, who made her first public engagement as a teenager, is involved with more than 300 charities and military organisations, especially the Royal Navy and Royal Marines. Among the causes she supports are home helpers, cattle protection, heart health and improving public transport. More specifically, he has been president of the non-profit organization Save the Children since 1970. In addition to her royal duties and raising Zara and Peter, a young Anna represented her country as an accomplished equestrian. He competed in the 1976 Montreal Olympics as part of the British equestrian team and continues to work to support disabled riding across the Commonwealth, according to Buckingham Palace. She was also involved in London’s successful bid to host the 2012 Olympics. Her first husband, Army Captain Mark Phillips, was also an Olympic equestrian and their daughter, Zara Tindall, followed in the footsteps of both her parents. The scandals of the royal family of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II Anne also made tabloid headlines after she was apparently reprimanded by her ever-diplomatic monarch mother during President Donald Trump’s visit to the UK in 2019. A video has gone viral online in which the Queen appears to chastise her daughter with a subtle look to the side as he greets Trump and first lady Melania Trump at a reception at Buckingham Palace. “She was funny,” said Arbiter of Anne, who often shared humor with her outspoken late father, Prince Philip, of whom she was a sweetheart. Queen Elizabeth was “proud” of her achievements, he added, and the two enjoyed “a very good relationship”. “As the queen grew older, [Anne] he became a great companion and a great comfort to the queen,” said Arbiter. She also has a fairly good relationship with her older brother Charles, despite a “difficult time” after he split from Princess Diana in 1996, she said. “Underneath it all, there was always a good relationship,” Arbiter added. This week Anne, who is 16th in line to the throne, thanked her mother for her “contribution to our national identity”. She added in a statement: “I am also so grateful for the support and understanding offered to my dear brother Charles as he accepts the additional responsibilities of The Monarch.” Anne refused to give her two children royal titles when offered. She also survived a hijacking attempt in 1974 after her vehicle was pulled over by a gunman near Buckingham Palace. As the attacker shouted at her to get out, she allegedly replied: “Not likely”, before finally escaping. Like many members of the royal family, she was not immune to having her romantic life publicized in the press. She split from Phillips in 1992 during the Queen’s so-called “annus horribilis” and eight months later married Timothy Lawrence, a naval commander who had taken care of the royal family’s horses. In 1989, love letters written by Laurence to Anne while she was still married were stolen and leaked to the Sun newspaper. The tabloid publicly pledged not to publish them and handed them over to British authorities, but continued to print speculation about the extramarital affair. Lawrence walked behind his wife and the Queen’s coffin in a procession through central London on Wednesday from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall, where the late monarch will lie in state until her funeral on Monday. Millions are expected to flock to London to catch a glimpse of the Queen’s historic farewell. Elizabeth’s mother was given a state funeral at Westminster Abbey in 2002, as was Princess Diana in 1997. The last monarch to have a state funeral there was King George II in 1760. After the funeral in London, Elizabeth will make her final journey to Windsor Castle, where she will be buried in St George’s Chapel next to her husband, Prince Philip, and her father, King George VI. Annabelle Timsit and Ellen Francis contributed to this report.
