Of the four children of Queen Elizabeth II, one is now king and another is permanently
disgraced. Where does that leave the other two, Princess Anne and Prince Edward?
Anne was 14 years old when Edward was born. Their public appearances together
confirm that she still behaves like a big sister. When the two were spotted outside St.
Paul's Cathedral during Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee Thanksgiving Service,
it's clear Anne was telling Edward what to do. Anne's stern expression and Edward's
cheeky grin were immediately reminiscent of an older sister-younger brother dynamic.
After the death of Queen Elizabeth, Anne definitely continued to take the reins of
responsibility, according to body language expert Judi James. James told the Daily Mail that Anne
was "trying to emulate" her parents for the sake and stability of her siblings, adding,
"The queen has always been incredibly grateful to Princess Anne. She made her
the Princess Royal, which was a gift that doesn't automatically confer."
Princess Anne attended boarding school at a young age and has been a vocal advocate
of the education system ever since. But Vanity Fair notes that the separation
created a bit of distance between Anne and her younger siblings. That said,
Anne and Edward did share at least one touching public moment during his childhood.
As detailed by the Royal Collection Trust, Edward got closer than most kids will ever
get to space when Colonel Frank Borman — the commander of Apollo 8 — came to
Buckingham Palace to visit him. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip were there,
as was Anne. Pictured smiling as Borman and Edward chatted, Anne clearly had a wonderful
big-sister moment, watching her little brother meet a real-life space traveler.
Some recent royal weddings, namely Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's ceremony and Prince
William and Kate Middleton's nuptials, were truly lavish affairs. Princess Anne's royal
wedding to first husband, Captain Mark Phillips, was just as big of an occasion,
Vogue notes. Anne looked stunning on the day, with her bell-sleeved gown and timeless beauty.
A sweet moment shared with her youngest brother, Prince Edward played a very big role in the day.
The bridesmaids and groomsmen at royal weddings are actually always young children according to
royal tradition. As such, Anne's little cousin, Lady Sarah Armstrong, was her bridesmaid,
and Edward was the page boy. As the ceremony concluded, the bride and groom walked down
the aisle of Westminster Abbey together. Edward and Sarah followed suit, fulfilling their very
important roles. Edward and Sarah, who's now Lady Sarah Chatto, were both 9 years old at the time.
Every family has a black sheep, but few rival Prince Andrew, whose connection to
convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has permanently tarnished his name.
"I mean, yes, I would go and stay at his house, but that was because of his girlfriend,
not because of him."
Andrew has all but vanished from the public eye after settling the abuse lawsuit filed by
accuser Virginia Giuffre. The Daily Mail notes that King Charles III would prefer his younger
brother to stay out of the spotlight completely, but his siblings certainly don't seem to agree.
Just two days before Charles' 74th birthday, Princess Anne and Prince Edward united to "show
support" for their brother Andrew, inviting him to a shooting party they hosted. Charles
also got an invite, but the eldest brother declined — and apparently got rather peeved
at his siblings for extending the invitation to Andrew. A source told The Daily Mail,
Getting along with your in-laws isn't always the easiest thing to do,
especially when there's an age gap. Case in point: Princess Anne and Prince Edward's wife, Sophie,
who don't always seem to be on the same page. To be clear, there's no feud here. They just
don't seem to be besties. Body language expert Judi James told Express of Anne and Sophie,
James added that at one specific outing,
In yet another instance, Sophie's
characteristic giggle seemed to peeve Anne slightly, to which James assessed,
The 2020s have been a decade of considerable change for the royal family, at least so
far. In 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped back from roles as senior royals for
a new chapter of their lives in California. Prince Philip passed away in April 2021,
and Queen Elizabeth died in September 2022, making Charles king. In the wake of
such major changes, both Edward and Anne have stepped up their responsibilities.
Anne and Edward are now officially counselors to the king. With the passing of the Counsellors
of State Act on December 6, 2022, Anne and Edward joined Queen Consort Camilla,
Prince William, and Princess Beatrice as official representatives of the crown. This means that the
siblings can step in for King Charles if needed and act on behalf of the monarchy.
The timing of the Counsellors of State Act passing and naming Anne and Edward as representatives left
little to the imagination. It came just two days before Prince Harry, who had been a counselor,
and Meghan Markle's Netflix documentary dropped its first volume. It also excluded Prince Andrew.
"The Counsellors of State and regency powers, may be exercised by the Duke of York or the
Duke or Sussex, one of whom has left public life, and one of whom has left the country."
Hello! Magazine pointed out that Harry would've likely been named a counselor alongside his
brother if he had remained a working royal, but now Anne and Edward have taken on the roles.
Princess Anne and Prince Edward surely have their differences,
but they've chosen to raise their children in very similar ways, opting to keep their
kids away from the spotlight. Anne is a mom of two — Peter Phillips was born in 1977 and Zara
Tindall in 1981. Edward and Sophie, Countess of Wessex, had Lady Louise in 2003 and James,
Viscount Severn, in 2007. Unlike their brothers Charles and Andrew,
Anne and Edward opted not to give their children his- or her-royal-highness titles.
Hello! Magazine reports that Sophie once explained
her and Edward's choice not to give their children titles by saying,
As for Anne, she declined titles for her two children so they could
have as normal of a life as possible. Given Anne's distance from the throne,
it makes sense that she would keep her children's lives private. Express quoted her as saying,
When it comes to royal athletes, Princess Anne might be the most impressive. A
talented equestrian who represented Great Britain at the Olympic Games in 1976,
Anne now serves as the president of the British Olympic Association and is a member of the
International Olympic Committee. Her love of all things horses, sporting, and team Great
Britain were once again on display at the 2012 London Olympics. Prince Edward, for his part,
isn't the athlete that Anne is, but he has shared some sporting moments with his older sister.
As noted by Town & Country, the Commonwealth Games take part across the 54 Commonwealth nations,
with more than 70 teams competing for medals. While smaller in scale than the Olympics, the
Commonwealth Games are a big deal for the royal family, so they're often spotted in the stands,
cheering on the athletes. During the 2022 Games, Anne and Edward were photographed together while
watching the Rugby Sevens competition. Joined by Anne's husband, Sir Timothy Laurence, and Edward's
family, they happily enjoyed each other's company while supporting the Commonwealth competition.
If one thing is clear about Princess Anne,
it's her no-fuss dedication to the crown. But her steely demeanor cracked a bit in
the aftermath of Queen Elizabeth II's death. There to comfort her was her youngest brother,
Prince Edward. Such affection between the siblings was a rare sighting,
and body language expert Judi James broke down exactly what happened for Express. She said,
It was Edward and Sophie, Countess of Wessex, who were there to comfort Anne,
the countess even placed a hand on Anne's shoulder — a huge display
of affection by royal standards. James further explained to The Sun,
The entire United Kingdom had to experience its first holiday season without Queen Elizabeth in
2022. Vanity Fair noted that King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla hosted Christmas 2022 at
Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, England. No doubt, it was a difficult time for the whole family,
including Edward and Anne. A staffer told People in advance of the gathering,
"We feel their absence at every familiar turn of
the season and remember them in each cherished tradition."
Anne, Edward, Charles, and other family members were said to be doing their best
to keep traditions alive. They exchanged gag gifts
on Christmas Eve and walked as a family to the local Norfolk church on Christmas Day.