Princess Anne Accompanies Queen Elizabeth II on Her Final Journey

The Queen's only daughter, Princess Anne, was asked by Her Majesty to accompany the funeral procession from Balmoral to Edinburgh, according to reports.

The 72-year-old Princess Royal, along with her husband Vice-Admiral Sir Timothy Lawrence, drove behind the hearse in a Royal Bentley.

The Queen personally requested that her daughter accompany the coffin to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, leaving nothing to chance in the funeral arrangements.

As she set out on her last journey, Princess Anne took care to pay her respects to her deceased mother.

The Queen's oak casket was transported on Sunday from Balmoral, where she died peacefully with her loved ones present, to the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

Dressed elegantly in black with her hair in an updo, the Princess Royal looked stoic as she bowed her head and performed a deep curtsy, potentially her last one for her mother.

For the six-hour trip to Edinburgh, Anne and her husband remained in one of the automobiles following Her Majesty's hearse.

Before arriving in Edinburgh, the procession passed through the counties of Aberdeenshire, Aberdeen, Angus, and Tayside, allowing mourners to pay their respects in the towns and villages along the way.

Buckingham Palace has confirmed that Princess Anne will also travel to London with her mother's coffin tomorrow when it leaves Scotland by air.

She is regarded by many as the hardest-working member of the Royal Family, having completed more than 20,000 engagements.

She is also a close confidante of her brother, King Charles III.

Princess Anne has emerged as the new king's most important confidante as Charles struggles to adjust to his new role.

According to sources, they are now closer than ever.

They were the brothers that grew up closest, sharing the same sense of humor, love of the countryside, and affection for all things Scottish.

As an adult, Anne has also accepted her brother's constitutional destiny as well as their respective duties.

Their relationship has been compared to that of Queen Elizabeth II with her younger sister Princess Margaret.

Neither the king nor his sister would have wished to be the only siblings present at the bedside of their mother as she passed away at Balmoral Castle.

However, it is understood that Andrew and Edward were not able to reach the castle in time.

The fact that Charles and his sister were the only siblings present meant they could briefly mourn privately together, further strengthening their unique relationship.

Princess Anne became the seventh Princess Royal in 1987.

She has a well-deserved reputation for being one of the hardest-working members of the royal family, participating in 387 official engagements in 2017, two more than her older brother.

The 72-year-old princess will be a pillar supporting King Charles's intention to reduce the monarchy since she serves as patron to more than 300 charities and organizations and has over 20,000 official engagements under her credit.

Redistributing Queen Elizabeth's 600-plus patronages is another issue.

As the sovereign, King Charles has automatically received them and must choose which to pass on to senior royals and which to let lapse.

Princess Anne's elevation in the royal hierarchy is marked by her accompanying her mother's coffin from the palace of Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh, to London.

Her importance to King Charles will rank close to that of the Queen and Prince of Wales.

Princess Anne's role in the funeral procession highlights her importance to the Royal Family and her unbreakable bond with her brother, King Charles III.

As the hardest-working member of the family, she will continue to play a significant role in supporting King Charles as he navigates his new role as monarch.