Princess Anne has been Charles III’s most important confidante as he adjusts to his new job.
She has been a constant in his life, alongside his mother, and according to sources, they are now closer than ever.
They were the brothers that grew up closest; they were both teens when their parents’ third child, Prince Andrew, began first grade. They were just 21 months apart in birth.
Given the Royal Family’s protective atmosphere, it was inevitable that they would develop a unique kinship with their younger brothers that went beyond those who would come after.
As Charles III grapples with his new role, Princess Anne has emerged as a key confidante to the new King. The siblings are pictured together at the Highland Games on September 3, just days before their mother’s death
They are known to revel in each other’s company, sharing the same sense of humour, love of the countryside and affection for all things Scottish.
Yet, in adulthood, Anne has also respected their different roles and her elder brother’s constitutional destiny.
The brother-sister banter common in so many families has, in her case, been underpinned by a quiet respect.
Their relationship has been compared to that of Queen Elizabeth II with her younger sister Princess Margaret.
Now Charles, as was once the case with his mother, is an inexperienced Monarch in need of a trusted ear, someone with whom to share confidences – and, increasingly, seek advice.
The fact that Charles and his sister were the only siblings there allowed them to have a private moment of mourning, thus enhancing their special bond. Following the passing of her mother, Princess Anne was seen on camera on September 10 attending a service at the Crathie Kirk church close to Balmoral.
It is believed that Andrew and Edward, who were traveling in a vehicle driven by Prince William, were unable to get to Balmoral Castle in time. Neither the King nor his sister would have wanted to be the only siblings there at the bedside of their mother when she died away there.
The fact that Charles and his sister were the only siblings there allowed them to have a private moment of mourning, thus enhancing their special bond.
It is not yet known whether Anne will get a new title from the King in addition to Princess Royal, which is the greatest honor the Monarch may bestow upon a female member of the Royal Family.
In 1987, Anne was sworn in as the seventh Princess Royal. The first person to receive the title was Princess Mary, a descendant of Charles I, in 1642.
Whatever her official title, Anne will likely be just as important to King Charles as the Queen and the Prince of Wales, according to the data.
Charles and Anne were born just 21 months apart and grew up the closest of the siblings (pictured in 1970) – both were teenagers by the time their parents’ third child Prince Andrew started primary school
A mark of the Princess Royal’s elevation in the Royal hierarchy is that she will accompany her mother’s coffin from the Palace of Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh, to London tomorrow.
The coffin will be flown to RAF Northolt and taken by road to Buckingham Palace.
She has a justified reputation as one of the hardest-working members of the Royal Family, carrying out 387 official engagements last year – two more than her elder brother.
Both easily exceeded the workload of the next in-demand Royal, Prince William, who logged 235.
As patron to more than 300 charities and organisations, and with upwards of 20,000 official engagements already under her belt, the 72-year-old Princess will be the bulwark supporting King Charles’ plan to downsize the Monarchy.
There is also the question of re-allocating Queen Elizabeth’s 600-plus patronages.
These have automatically been transferred to King Charles, as sovereign, and he must decide which to pass to senior Royals and which to let lapse.