Princess Anne, the Queen's only daughter, is arguably the third most notorious of Queen Elizabeth's four children – following her elder brother King Charles III and her less reputable younger brother Prince Andrew. However, the princess recently made headlines saying she doesn't think a 'slimmed down version of the royal family' is a 'good idea'.
Nevertheless, as a senior figure in the royal family, and close friend of her brother King Charles, Princess Anne played a key role the coronation today - even riding horseback as part of the ceremony. Here's all you need to know about her and what we'll see her do as part of today's events.
Who is Princess Anne?
Princess Anne (also known as Princess Royal), 72, was born in 1950 and is the second child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip, the former Duke of Edinburgh. She is now 16th in line to the throne.
She attended private boarding school Benenden as a child and went on to undertake her royal duties as an adult. In 1976, she became the first royal family member to compete in the Olympics and is a highly respected equestrian.
What was Princess Anne's role in the Coronation?
Princess Anne's role was to serve as Gold-Stick-in-Waiting during the coronation procession – a ceremonial position that historically involved keeping the monarch safe from danger. She followed the King and Queen Camilla in the procession as they returned to Buckingham Palace after the ceremony.
A source ahead of the big day told the Daily Mirror: “[Charles] is rewarding the Princess Royal for her loyalty and her unwavering devotion to duty above all else. The King values his sister as a trusted lieutenant and this is the perfect example of such a relationship.”
What is the gold-stick-in-waiting?
The gold-stick-in-waiting is a position that has historically been given to a person who has been personally entrusted with the safety of the monarch. As part of this role, Princess Anne travelled on horseback behind King Charles and Queen Camilla after they'd been crowned at Westminster Abbey. While they travelled back to Buckingham Palace in the Gold State Coach, Anne led the larger procession featuring 6,000 armed services personnel.
The role of golf-stick-in-waiting originated in the 15th Century (when it was far more perilous to be Monarch than it is now), when two officers, a Gold Stick and a Silver Stick, were placed close to the sovereign to protect them from danger.
And it seems Anne is keen to hold onto these traditions as the role of the monarchy in modern society comes under increased scrutiny. During an interview with Canadian network CBC News, which was carried out at St James's Palace, the Princess Royal was asked about people having questions about the relevance of the monarchy.
"It's not a conversation that I would necessarily have - I think it's perfectly true that it is a moment where you need to have that discussion," she said. "But I would just underline that the monarchy provides, with the constitution, a degree of long-term stability that is actually quite hard to come by in any other way."
What are Princess Anne's other royal roles?
As well as being gold-stick-in-waiting for the Coronation, Princess Anne was also given the role of Senior Colonel of the Household Division by King Charles after Queen Elizabeth II died. Known as the hardest working royal, Anne also holds the position of Colonel of the Household Cavalry's Blues and Royals.
As part of her responsibilities as Senior Colonel, the princess has hosted traditional dinners for other Household Division Colonels, including Kate Middleton, who's Colonel of the Irish Guards, where they decided which regiment should be given the honour of trooping their colour next year.
What will Anne's husband Timothy Laurence be doing for the Coronation?
Despite all eyes being on Charles (this weekend and in the past), it's actually Anne who paved the way for royal divorces in her family. Anne first married Captain Mark Phillips in 1973 but they separated in 1989 and divorced in 1992. They have two children, Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall, and five grandchildren.
However, within months of her divorce in 1992, Anne married Commander (later Vice Admiral) Sir Timothy Laurence, who she met while he served as her mother's equerry between 1986 and 1989. For more on this, we suggest you watch The Crown on Netflix...
Princess Anne and her husband Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence are due to attend a special service at Gloucester Cathedral as part of the Coronation celebrations on Monday 8 May. The couple will attend a service of thanksgiving which is part of ‘The Big Help Out Day’ which is a nationwide initiative that aims to raise awareness of volunteering throughout the UK.
What will Princess Anne's children be doing?
Princess Anne's children, Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall, will both be in attendance with their families this weekend.
Peter, 45, married Canadian management consultant Autumn Kelly in 2008 and their first child, and the Queen's first great-grandchild, a daughter named Savannah Anne Kathleen, was born on 29 December 2010 at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital. On 29 March 2012, the couple's second daughter, Isla Elizabeth, was born at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital. She is 19th in line to the throne. On 11 February 2020, Peter and his wife confirmed that they had separated in 2019 and announced they were planning to divorce. The divorce was settled on 14 June 2021.
Zara, 41, follows in her mother's footsteps and competed in the Olympics as a British equestrian. She also won a silver medal at the 2012 London Olympics. In 2011, she married rugby union player and star of I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, Mike Tindall. The couple welcome their daughter Mia, eight, in 2014, their second daughter Lena in 2018 and their son Lucas Philip in 2021. Zara is also godmother to Prince George, the first born son of her cousin Prince William and second in line to the throne.