Princess Anne cut a striking figure in her military uniform as she made history at the Queen’s vigil yesterday.
Princess Anne, 72, made history by becoming the first female member of the royal family to “stand guard” during the historic royal mourning tradition known as the Vigil of the Princes.
Princess Anne is the second child and only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II, who was joined by her brothers, Prince Edward, 58, and Prince Andrew, 62, and their eldest brother, the newly appointed King Charles III, at St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh on Monday (September 12) for the Vigil of the Princess, taking their places by their beloved mother, the Queen’s coffin at 7:20pm.
The Princess is a patron of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity, and the Commodore-in-Chief for Portsmouth, and is also the only female member of the royal family to wear her uniform on state occasions. Although the Princess doesn’t serve in the military, she is an honorary Rear Admiral and is considered to be the most hard-working royal. The Princess carries out hundreds of engagements with her military affiliations every year.
The Vigil of the Princess is a long-standing tradition that has been in place since the death of King George V in 1936. It was last carried out during the Queen Mother’s funeral in 2002. Check out some of the photos from the Vigil below.
