The immediate members of the royal family filled some surprising ceremonial roles in the Coronation of King Charles III and Camilla on Saturday, including the king’s younger sister Princess Anne. The princess rode in the parade on horseback carrying the Gold-Stick-in-Waiting, which reportedly meant that she was the king’s personal bodyguard. This auspicious role wasn’t revealed until her dramatic arrival.
Princess Anne wore an elaborate Royal Navy uniform on Saturday morning complete with a cape and white gloves, but she changed into a more practical military uniform when riding with the parade on horseback. The princess never served in the military herself, but she holds several honorary military titles like most members of the royal family. That includes the ceremonial bodyguard role known as “Gold-Stick-in-Waiting.” According to a report by PEOPLE, the role of the “Gold Stick” was established in the 1400s. It was one of two bodyguards positioned near the monarch on important occasions – the other being the “Silver Stick.”
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Princess Anne was the only member of the royal family to ride a horse in Saturday’s parade while most of the others traveled in carriages or coaches. The 72-year-old princess led 6,000 armed military personnel through the city, following behind the king. Princess Anne joked about her role in the ceremony last week in an interview with CBC News.
“I have a role as the Colonel of the Blues and Royals in the Household Cavalry regiment as Gold Stick [in Waiting]. And Gold Stick was the original close protection officer. So that is a role I was asked if I’d like to do for this coronation, so I said yes,” she said. “Not least of all, it solves my dress problem.”
Princess Anne is the second child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip and the only woman out of their four children. She is regarded by many as the “hardest-working” member of the royal family, as she takes on more royal engagements than any of the others. She took on even more responsibility in December when the king named her a Counsellor of State along with their younger brother Prince Edward.
The Coronation of King Charles III was a massive media event on Saturday, but it’s not over yet. The celebrations continue in the U.K. and on Sunday a huge cast of international stars will perform at a concert in Windsor Castle to honor the king. The show will be broadcast by the BBC, but it’s not clear how fans in the U.S. will be able to watch those performances yet.
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SANDRINGHAM, NORFOLK – DECEMBER 25: Catherine, Princess of Wales attends the Christmas Morning Service at Sandringham Church on December 25, 2023 in Sandringham, Norfolk. (Photo by Samir Hussein/WireImage)
