Princess Anne just made history as the first woman to attend the Vigil of the Princes ceremony
After the death of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, on Thursday, 8 September, the nation has entered a period of mourning.
On Monday, 12 September, the Vigil of the Princes took place at St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh and Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, made history by joining her brothers to become the first woman ever to take part in the historic ceremony.
The Queen’s coffin arrived at St Giles’ Cathedral yesterday afternoon, after travelling in procession from the Palace of Holyrood House. Here, the public have been allowed to file past the coffin to pay their respects and witness the vigil take place.
In the evening, members of the royal family congregated at the cathedral to hold the vigil, which saw the Queen’s children, including King Charles III, stand in silence around the coffin for ten minutes, while other prominent royal figures, including the Queen Consort and Countess of Wessex, sat on seats opposite the coffin. The public were allowed to continue filing past while this took place, getting a front row seat to a historic moment.
Princess Anne, who is 72, is the first woman to stand guard during a Vigil of the Princes ceremony, making this historic moment even more meaningful. The Queen’s only daughter arrived dressed in her navy ceremonial military uniform – as patron of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity, as well as being Commodore-in-Chief for Portsmouth, the Princess Royal is the only female member of the royal family who wears a military uniform at state occasions.
Her uniform is bedecked with medals, which include medals for the Queen’s Service Order, the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal, and Silver, Gold, Diamond and Platinum Jubilee Medals.
Princess Anne’s uniform also displayed three decorations – the Most Notable Order of the Garter, the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle and the Royal Victorian Order.
Princess Anne’s next role in the mourning processions ahead of the funeral will be to accompany the Queen’s coffin on the plane back to Buckingham Palace.
On 13 September, at 5pm, the Queen’s coffin will travel by road from St Giles’ Cathedral to Edinburgh airport, where it will be flown, with the Princess Royal, to RAF Northolt and then driven to Buckingham Palace. The coffin is expected to arrive at the Palace at 8pm, which will be witnessed by the King and Queen Consort alongside other members of the Royal Family.
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