Princess Anne has been praised for the special role she played at her brother’s coronation.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla were crowned during a coronation service at Westminster Abbey in London on Saturday 6 May. As part of the ceremony, the King gave his younger sister an important role during the historic day in recognition of her service.
The Princess Royal, 72, served as the Gold Stick during the Coronation Procession from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace. As King Charles and Queen Camilla made their way to the Palace in the Gold State Coach after the ceremony, Princess Anne led 6,000 armed services personnel through the streets of London.
While many members of the royal family participated in the procession in horse-drawn carriages or cars, she was the only royal to ride on horseback.
Princess Anne’s presence as King Charles III’s personal bodyguard was applauded by fans on social media, who declared the royal a “straight bad a**” for leading the procession.
“OMG Princess Anne!!!” one person tweeted. “Totally Boss Princess!!!”
“Princess Anne is the baddest one in this family! How did I just now realise it?! Go head, girl!” another user wrote.
A third person said: “I’d take Princess Anne as my personal bodyguard any day.”
Meanwhile, another user joked: “I believe Anne could kill a calf with her bare hands. Change my mind.”
The Gold Stick is a role of the Colonel of the Blues and Royals in the Household Cavalry regiment. They serve as a ceremonial bodyguard entrusted with the safety of the sovereign. The position, which dates back to the 15th century, originated with two officers placing one gold and one silver rod by the monarch during royal ceremonies such as a coronation.
In a recent interview with CBC, the Princess Royal confirmed that she would be wearing her military uniform during the coronation, and spoke about being tasked with the role as Gold Stick ahead of the King’s coronation.
“I have a role as the Colonel of the Blues and Royals in the Household Cavalry regiment as Gold Stick [in Waiting],” she said. “And Gold Stick was the original close protection officer. So that is a role I was asked if I’d like to do for this coronation, so I said yes.”
“Not least of all, it solves my dress problem,” she joked.
It comes as no surprise that Princess Anne was the only member of the royal family to ride on horseback during the procession, considering she’s had a very successful equestrian career. She won her first individual title at the European Eventing Championship when she was 21, and competed at the Olympic Games in Montreal in 1976.
Perhaps another reason why fans declared Princess Anne a total “boss” was because she survived an armed kidnapping attempt in 1974. When the kidnapper told Anne to get out of the car, she replied: “Not bloody likely.”
Not only did the only daughter of the late Queen Elizabeth II gain much attention for her horse-riding skills at the coronation, but it was also her feathered hat that stole the show – especially since it obstructed Prince Harry’s view.
