King Charles may be Britain’s monarch, but it’s his younger sister Princess Anne who holds the royal family together.
Last week, the Princess Royal and her husband Sir Timothy Laurence kicked off the royal family’s annual Christmas tradition with a special tea party for veterans at St. James’s Palace, where Anne received an astonishing honour.
A few days later on Monday, December 1, King Charles’ office finally shared details of the festivities to the official Royal Family Instagram page.
“Last week, The Princess Royal, accompanied by Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, hosted @The.Not.Forgotten’s annual Christmas Tea Party at St. James’s Palace,” read a statement accompanying a video set to Andy Williams’ It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.
The statement further explained: “The charity, of which Her Royal Highness is Patron, provides entertainment, respite and challenge events for wounded, ill or isolated veterans and service personnel of all ages, ranks and backgrounds.”
During the tea party, held on Thursday, November 27, Anne mingled with guests, including 101-year-old Dorothea Barron, who served in the Women’s Royal Naval Service during the Second World War.
That’s when Barron told Anne that everyone thinks she’s “the absolute brick of the royal family.”
Recalling his interaction with Anne, Barron said, “She works so hard, and I said, as a mother with a daughter, I have so much respect for her. She’s practical, she’s down to earth, and she’s a damn hard worker.”
