The King’s Affection for His Sister
Princess Anna, born on August 15th, 1950, has turned 73 years old. And her older brother, King Charles III, wanted to wish her a happy birthday on social media. “Happy birthday to the Royal Princess Anna”, the sovereign wrote on Instagram, accompanying the message with two photos. The first, recent, is an unpublished shot of the two siblings looking at each other affectionately and smiling on the day of the coronation, which took place last May at Westminster Abbey. The second image shows Charles and Anna as children at Clarence House. It was July 1951. The princess was just under a year old and her older brother, then three years old, made her smile by leaning over her pram and holding her hand. A tender shot that tells of the sovereign’s affection for his younger sister.
The Princess’s Devotion to Duty
It seems that Charles, as a boy, was jealous of Anna because of the special bond she had with her father Philip. But for years now the princess has been one of the closest people to the king. It was also clear last May, when the sovereign gave his sister a special role on the day of his coronation: Anna escorted the monarch’s carriage during the procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey, and on the return she headed the procession which saw 6000 members of the Armed Forces participate. Charles, as an insider told the Mirror, “wanted to reward his sister for her loyalty and her unwavering devotion to duty above all else.” It’s no wonder: the Royal Princess, although no longer young, is still the busiest member of the royal family. In 2022, for example, she participated in 214 royal engagements, surpassing even those of the king, who stood at 181. But Anna had also won the “most hardworking royal” crown in 2018, 2016 and 2015. “She always runs around the country, I’m always amazed at what she does in one day”, royal expert O’Donovan said in 2018.
The Princess’s Popularity
Yes, because the princess, patron of more than 300 charitable organizations, has always been very active. And if in the past her somewhat brusque manners, her “sharp tongue” and her dislike of the spotlight had made her unpopular, today she is one of the most beloved British royals. The Telegraph, for example, a couple of years ago called her “the best of us all: tenacious, practical, hardworking, diligent and reserved”. King Charles III probably thinks the same way. And on the day of Anna’s seventy-third birthday, he wanted to let her feel his affection and esteem, even with two beautiful social photos.
