Anne's heartbreaking thought as Queen's crown was taken from coffin at funeral

22 December 2023 , 08:00

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Anne's heartbreaking thought as Queen's crown was taken from coffin at funeral

Princess Anne has told of her heartbreaking thought as she watched one of the most emotional parts of her late mother the Queen's funeral.

The former monarch's daughter has opened up about Elizabeth II's final days and her death in a brand new BBC documentary about her brother King Charles, which charts the first year of his reign. In one poignant part of her interview, Anne talks about her mother's funeral and the historic committal service at St George's Chapel in Windsor. Near the end of the poignant ceremony, Crown Jeweller Mark Appleby removed the Imperial State Crown, spectre and orb from the top of the Queen's coffin before it was lowered into the royal vault as the Royal Family watched on.

Princess Anne in the aftermath of her mother the late Queen's death (Jacob King / PA Wire)

Anne tells the documentary: "My mother's funeral in St George's, he takes the crown off the coffin – I rather weirdly felt a sense of relief, somehow that's it, finished. That responsibility being moved on."

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the documentary, the Princess Royal reveals that her mother felt it would be 'difficult' if she died at Balmoral but was persuaded to step back from the "decision-making process." The former monarch's only daughter believes it was 'serendipity' she was at Balmoral before her mother's death.

Speaking about her mother the late Queen, Anne says in the documentary: "I think there was a moment when she felt that it would be more difficult if she died at Balmoral. And I think we did try and persuade her that that shouldn’t be part of the decision-making process.” She concluded with a laugh: “So I hope she felt that that was right in the end, because I think we did."

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The Imperial State Crown, Orb and Sceptre are removed from the late Queen's coffin (PA)

Speaking about the accession of her brother the King, she says: "I'm not sure that anybody can really prepare themselves for that kind of change."

The 90-minute documentary Charles III: The Coronation Year, to be screened on Boxing Day, is narrated by Helena Bonham Carter and features contributions from Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and close friends, and gives a behind-the-scenes look at rehearsals for the coronation.

Queen Elizabeth II, the UK's longest-serving monarch, died peacefully at Balmoral in Scotland on September 8 last year, aged 96, after reigning for 70 years.

It appears at the end of her life the late Queen was still concerned with duty and others, not wanting her passing in Scotland to cause added issues for those implementing London Bridge – the codename for the arrangements for her lying in state, vigils and a grand state funeral. Different plans were in place if the Queen had died at any one of her main royal residences, from Sandringham to Windsor Castle, and even overseas, with the arrangements for Scotland given the codename Operation Unicorn.

Charles III: The Coronation Year will be screened on Boxing Day at 6.50pm on BBC One and iPlayer.

Jennifer Newton