Princess Anne Didn’t Appreciate Hug From Staff After Queen Elizabeth’s Death, New Book Claims
Princess Anne was not appreciative when a staff member offered her consolation shortly after the passing of her mother, Queen Elizabeth II, a new royal biography suggested.
According to an excerpt from "The Making of a King: King Charles III and the Modern Monarchy" obtained by the Daily Mail, the moment occurred while the Princess Royal, 73, was waiting for the arrival of her older brother, Charles, 75, at Queen Elizabeth's Scottish residence, Balmoral Castle, after their mother's death at the age of 96.
During this somber time, a senior staff member reportedly approached Princess Anne and extended a gesture of comfort in the form of a hug.
However, the no-nonsense royal responded with a wry smile, saying, "That is the last time that's going to happen," royal biographer Robert Hardman wrote in his book.
The author also shared insights from a memo recorded by Queen Elizabeth's private secretary, Sir Edward Young, capturing the final moments of the late monarch.
"Very peaceful. In her sleep. Slipped away. Old age. She wouldn't have been aware of anything. No pain," wrote Young in a letter now held in the Royal Archives.
Britain's Queen Elizabeth II speaks with staff during a visit to the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) at Porton Down science park on October 15, 2020 near Salisbury, England.
Queen Elizabeth was accompanied by Princess Anne and her senior dresser, Angela Kelly, during her final hours.
They were joined by Reverend Kenneth MacKenzie, who read verses from the Bible, according to the book.
In the December 2023 documentary "Charles III: The Coronation Year," Princess Anne opened up about her mother's concerns regarding the logistics of her funeral if she were to pass away in Scotland.
She shared that there was a moment when Queen Elizabeth believed it might be more "difficult" for her family to organize her funeral if she died at Balmoral.
"I think we did try to persuade her that shouldn't be part of the decision-making process," Princess Anne recalled.
Princess Anne referred to being by her mother's side during her final moments as "pure serendipity."
The Princess Royal accompanied her mother's casket as it traveled from Balmoral, Scotland, to Edinburgh. She also walked behind the coffin with her siblings during the funeral processions in London on Sept. 19, 2022.
Reflecting on the funeral, Princess Anne admitted to feeling an unusual "sense of relief" when witnessing the Imperial State Crown being taken off the Queen's coffin at St. George's Chapel in Windsor.
"I rather weirdly felt a sense of relief -- that's it, finished. That responsibility being moved on," she explained in the documentary.
