Catching up. Prince Harry and Princess Anne chatted while in attendance at King Charles III‘s coronation in London on Saturday, May 6.
The Princess Royal, 72, was all smiles while sitting next to Harry, 38, at Westminster Abbey. The Duke of Sussex, who has experienced tension with members of the royal family following his 2020 exit, was solo at the event after wife Meghan Markle remained in Los Angeles for son Archie’s birthday.
Meanwhile, Anne served a special role at the coronation as Gold-Stick-in-Waiting. The royal, who has been married to Sir Timothy Laurence since 1992, traveled to Westminster Abbey on horseback behind Charles and Queen Camilla.
“In the terms of my role, I have a role as colonel of the blues and royals in the Household Cavalry regiment as Gold Stick,” Anne told Canada’s CBC News during a Monday, May 1, interview. “Gold Stick was the original close protection officer, so that is a role that 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.”
The King’s only sister — who shares daughter Zara Tindall and son Peter Phillips with ex-husband Mark Phillips — wore a Royal Navy ceremonial uniform to many vigils and the state funeral for Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022. Although she never served in the armed forces she holds a number of honorary titles, including admiral. (She has also been named a general in the British Army and an air chief marshal in the Royal Air Force.)
Last fall, Anne made headlines when she curtsied deeply to her mother’s coffin during a vigil in Scotland. The motion is considered a sign of great respect, and several royal women — including Lady Louise and Meghan, 41, — repeated Anne’s gesture at following memorials for the late queen and the funeral service.
Elizabeth died on September 8, 2022, at age 96 due to natural causes. Charles immediately ascended the throne the moment of her death. The coronation is symbolic and celebratory, hence why the royal family mourned the queen’s death for several months before throwing the joyous event.
As Charles makes his own changes as sovereign, Anne said she is ready to help her brother in any way she can. “My mother didn’t change very much. We kind of knew what the rhythm of the year was. So that will, things like that will change,” the princess told the CBC. “How we are part of the support for the monarchy may change slightly, who knows.”
She added, “For the rest of us, it’s more a question of, OK, we have to shift the way we support. And that’s what we need to do.”
The England native, however, doesn’t think there will be less support from inside the Firm. She shot down royal experts who have long said Charles will “slim down” the monarchy.
“Well, I think the ‘slimmed-down’ [comment] was said in a day when there were a few more people around … [to] make that seem like a justifiable comment,” Anne explained. “It doesn’t sound like a good idea from where I’m standing, I would say. I’m not quite sure what else we can do.”
