Queen Elizabeth II needed reassuring that it would be OK if she died at Balmoral, a documentary reveals. The Princess Royal says her mother was worried about the possibility of her dying while away from London.
Interviewed for the BBC’s Charles III: The Coronation Year, Anne, 73, says: “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 to persuade her that that shouldn’t be part of the decision-making process.” Smiling, she adds: “So I hope she felt that that was right, in the end. Because I think we did.”
Queen Elizabeth, the UK’s longest-serving monarch, died peacefully at her Scottish home on September 8 last year, aged 96, after reigning for 70 years. The candid documentary lifts the lid on the first 12 months of the King’s reign, including the Queen’s funeral at St George’s Chapel at Windsor.
Anne said she was surprised at her own feelings when jeweller Mark Appleby removed the crown, sceptre and orb before Her Majesty’s coffin was lowered into the royal vault. She explained: “When he takes the crown off the coffin, I rather weirdly felt a sense of relief. Somehow, that’s it. Finished. That responsibility has been moved on.”
Watched by family members, the moment was symbolic of the Queen’s role passing to her eldest son, Charles. When it comes to her brother taking on the role of monarch at the age of 75, she said: “I’m not sure that anybody can really prepare themselves for that kind of change... not easily. And then the change happens and you go ‘OK, I now have to get on with it’. Monarchy is a 365 days a year occupation, it doesn’t stop because you change monarchs.”
The 90-minute documentary is narrated by actress Helena Bonham Carter and features interviews with the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Camilla’s sister Annabel Elliot. To be shown on Boxing Day, it gives a revealing glimpse into the hours of rehearsals which went into King Charles’ coronation – as well as some light-hearted moments. Working out how to get the crown to stay on his head, Charles tells Welby: “Just jam it on. It’s so huge, it’s got to be on right and I can’t do anything about it.”
The Archbishop says he will aim for just above the eyebrow line, protesting: “I don’t want to break your neck.” In another moment, Welby gestures at some of the priceless artefacts and jokes: “You could make a fortune selling that.” And as he takes the Prince of Wales through his duties, Welby suggests: “If you get lost, just look confident and bow.”
One of William’s trickier roles was to secure the clasp on his father’s robe and he comments: “On the day, it’s not going to go in, is it?” His father quips: “You haven’t got sausage fingers like mine.” During the coronation ceremony, William pledged allegiance to the King by kissing him on the cheek. During rehearsals, William is seen tickling Charles’s left cheek, but kissing him on the other side. The King laughs but points out he’s got it the wrong way round. William draws laughter by telling his father “your left cheek is better”, and giving his face another affectionate stroke. Rehearsing the Queen’s crowning, Camilla tells Charles “you’ve got to say yes or no” to laughter from others.
The Archbishop adds: “If you don’t say anything, if you don’t nod or indicate, Sir, I can’t crown Her Majesty.” Camilla quips: “Don’t bother to look, I’m very happy.” In an interview, the Archbishop recalls the moment he learned of the Queen’s death, given by a code phrase revealing it had happened at Balmoral. He says: “My phone went. My chief of staff just said, ‘London Bridge’. Extraordinary moment. I suddenly thought: ‘Everything we’ve practised for, everything we’ve thought, is now going to happen’.”
The documentary also shows the alterations to the crown jewels and the arrival of the King and Queen’s anointing oil from the Holy Land plus the gospel choir’s rehearsals. The past 12 months have been a period of huge change for Charles who has taken on 571 engagements and bestowed more than 1,000 honours. Anne says he has coped well. “It’s a big operation – the amount of entertaining is much bigger than even they recognised,” she says. “But I think my brother is learning things about the organisation that he perhaps was very vaguely aware of before, and he’s enjoying that too.”
Praising Queen Camilla, she says: “Her understanding of her role and the difference it makes to the King has been absolutely outstanding, This role is not something she would have been a natural for but she does it really well. She provides that change of speed and tone, she’s equally modern.”
Anne also says she and Charles had spent a lifetime practising for events such as the Coronation. She adds: “We often remark upon how grateful we are that our schools did a lot of drama and both of us spent time on stage. It’s really good training. It gives you a bit of confidence, it teaches you about learning lines, making sure you do rehearsals and understand what’s involved.” And she says Charles and Camilla would have felt pleased with how the day went, adding: “Ask any actor who comes off stage having done a performance which they’ve really put a lot into, it’s that kind of relief.”
Charles III: The Coronation Year, Boxing Day, 6.50pm, BBC1.