Why King Charles III’s Sister Princess Anne Was the Only Royal Riding Horseback During Coronation
usmagazine.comRiding solo! King Charles III arrived in a golden carriage his coronation on Saturday, May 6, — but his sister, Anne, Princess Royal, was the one who had fans talking as she exited the ceremony on horseback.Anne, 72, was the only royal who traveled from Westminster Abbey on Saturday back to Buckingham Palace after her brother Charles, 74, was crowned the king of England and the Commonwealth.“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,” Anne told Canada’s CBC News of her part in the historic event during a Monday, May 1, interview. “So that is a role I was asked if I’d like to do for this coronation, so I said ‘yes.’”She joked that there was an added perk to the position. “Not least of all, it solves my dress problem,” the princess added.Queen Elizabeth II’s only daughter’s original mode of transportation came as a result of her role as the Gold-Stick-in-Waiting, which she’s held since 1998.
The position originated with two officers — a Gold Stick and a Silver Stick — who were tasted with protecting the monarch.“The tradition of this role dates back to the 15th century, where two rods, one gold and one silver, would be placed by the monarch to protect them from danger,” according to the BBC. “These roles are now only really used for such royal events, like the coronation, and is typically held by the Colonels of the Life Guards and the Blues and Royals.”On Saturday, Anne was tasked with guarding her older sibling as he made his way back to Buckingham Palace following his lengthy coronation ceremony.
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