When the Queen died earlier this month at the home she called her “paradise in the Highlands”, two of her four children were by her side.
Her heir, Charles, rushed from his own Scottish home Dumfries House to join his sister, Anne, who was already by their mother’s bedside.
“I was fortunate to share the last 24 hours of my dearest mother’s life,” Princess Anne said in a statement.
“It has been an honour and a privilege to accompany her on her final journeys.”
Princess Anne was also chosen to accompany her mother’s coffin on the long journey from Balmoral Castle to Edinburgh, and then on a flight to London.
As the Queen’s only daughter, Anne has long held a special place in the House of Windsor.
She was extremely close to both her parents, an Olympian, and one of the hardest-working members of the family.
Last year, she carried out even more official engagements than her brother, making 387 public appearances to his 385.
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Now 16th in line to the throne, Princess Anne has never been further from the crown.
Known for her no-nonsense attitude, unchanging hairstyle and work ethic, she has often flown under the radar during her siblings’ scandals and dramas.
But as one of her brother’s most trusted advisers, Anne’s influence is set to grow.
There are even reports the new King wants to change an 85-year-old law so that his brother, Prince Andrew, his son, Prince Harry, and his niece, Princess Beatrice, will be removed from their positions as…
