When a woman senior in the Royal Family appoints a Lady-in-Waiting, it’s a special honour reserved for people near and dear to them, and Princess Anne is set to pick someone very special to join her Ladies-in-Waiting.
The late Queen Elizabeth II had many throughout her reign, some of whom served alongside her for decades, like Lady Susan Hussey.
So special were the Ladies in Waiting that King Charles III made them Ladies of the Household following her death in 2022, reassigning their roles to duties towards upkeeping the running of the palaces to honour their years of service.
In November 2022, it was announced that Queen Camilla would end the tradition of having ladies-in-waiting. Instead, she will be helped by "Queen's companions". Their role will be informal and they will not be involved in tasks such as replying to letters or developing schedules.
Her companions include her sister, Annabel Elliot and Lady Sarah Keswick.
And now, a new report in the Telegraph, has revealed the likely identity of the new Lady-in-Waiting for Anne, the Princess Royal.
Traditionally, ladies in waiting would be the wives or daughters of peers but they can also be a cousin or close friend, and in classic Princess Anne style, she is set to extend the honour to someone in recognition of their special connection to her daughter, Zara Tindall.
Dolly Maude, an NHS nurse who helped to deliver Zara and Mike Tindall’s third child, Lucas, on the bathroom floor at her Gatcombe Park home in 2021, is set to become the new Lady-in-Waiting to Princess Anne.
Amusingly, Dolly once joined Zara for the Cheltenham races wearing a comical Lady-in-Waiting badge. As a non-working royal, Zara wouldn't have Ladies-in-Waiting, but Dolly might have manifested her rumoured new role with Zara's mother.
The Telegraph suggests that Buckingham Palace will announce the appointment in the Court Circular on February 1, when Dolly Maude will be revealed as one of four newly appointed ladies in waiting.
Dolly was maid of honour when Zara Tindall married Mike Tindall in 2011, and she helped to deliver Lucas when his birth did not quite go to plan.
Mike Tindall described the dramatic birth on his The Good, The Bad & The Rugby podcast.
He said, “Fortunately Zara’s friend Dolly is... actually more important than I am... she’s been at all three of my children’s births.”
"She was there and recognised that we wouldn’t have got to the hospital in time, so it was run into the gym, get a mat, get into the bathroom, towels down, brace brace brace!”
Describing Dolly in the publication, a source said, “She’s such a great girl. For the Princess Royal, it’s a perfect fit because of their shared love of dogs and horses."
"She’s not only extremely close to Zara, she also gets on brilliantly with the Princess. She’s fiercely loyal and discreet. It’s a great match.”
The Princess Royal, who regularly carries out the most royal engagements each year and is considered the hardest working royal, at one time had 11 ladies in waiting, two of whom had worked for Her Royal Highness for more than 50 years, three for more than 40 years, and five for more than 30 years.
However, it’s thought that she will be replacing some who are considering retirement.
