Princess Anne’s starring role in King Charles’ coronation revealed…. and it’s a huge honour
PRINCESS Anne’s starring role in King Charles’ coronation has been revealed – and it’s a huge honour.
Sources say Charles gave the prestigious position to the Princess Royal as a thank-you for her “unwavering devotion”.
During the procession on May 6, Anne, 72, will be the Gold-Stick-in-Waiting – a role historically handed to a person entrusted with the safety of the monarch.
This will see her travel on horseback behind the newly crowned King and Queen Consort after the coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey.
Then, as Charles and Camilla ride in the Gold State Coach back to Buckingham Palace, Anne will lead the larger procession featuring 6,000 armed services personnel.
The 72-year-old was said to be “incredibly honoured” after being chosen for the role.
An insider told The Mirror: “The direction of the King’s decision is clear for all to see.
“He 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.”
The privilege is said to date back to the 15th century in Tudor times.
It saw two officers – a Gold Stick and a Silver Stick – placed close to the monarch to protect them from danger.
The countdown is on for the coronation, which is set to see thousands of Brits swarm London in less than two weeks.
The finer details of the weekend have been revealed in recent days, including what time the flypast is, who carries the Crown Jewels and who is hosting the King’s concert.
But royal fans were up in arms yesterday after confusion with the event’s tickets.
A clumsily-worded email from Ticketmaster said they had been successful in a ballot and had until tomorrow to claim passes, but needed to “act quickly”.
But they were then handed out on a first-come, first-served basis, meaning many who thought they had one of the hottest tickets in town lost out.
Meanwhile, a number of businesses have also released coronation-themed sweets – and we tested some.
And shoppers have been raving about a new, cheap Coronation range, with prices that start at just 79p.