Inside Princess Anne’s Close Bond with Her Brother, King Charles

Princess Anne is celebrating her 74th birthday! While we don’t know her exact plans for the day, it’s likely she’ll be surrounded by loved ones at her beautiful Gatcombe Park estate.

Her brother, King Charles, will no doubt lead the well-wishers, alongside Anne’s husband Sir Timothy Laurence, her children Zara and Peter, and her siblings Andrew and Edward.

Reflecting on their bond, Danielle Stacey, HELLO!’s Online Royal correspondent, shared, “The Princess Royal has always been a dedicated and hardworking member of the British monarchy. From an observer’s point of view, it seems like her relationship with the King has deepened.”

“Anne was featured prominently as the King’s Gold Stick-in-Waiting at his coronation and was seen greeting the newly-crowned Charles back at Buckingham Palace with the words, ‘Hello, old bean.’ Despite having a demanding schedule herself, Anne has increased her engagements in recent months to support her brother and the Princess of Wales as they continue their respective cancer treatments,” she added.

With just 21 months between them, Charles and Anne have long shared a special bond. They grew up together at Buckingham Palace while their parents were frequently busy traveling. Their relationship has certainly endured over time.

In their youth, the pair shared many joyful moments, and Charles and Anne have maintained a sense of playfulness in their relationship. Earlier this year, during the monarch’s Coronation celebrations, Anne’s affectionate nickname for her brother came to light: “Hello, old bean.”

In footage from the BBC’s documentary “Charles III: The Coronation Year,” Princess Anne was filmed moving through Buckingham Palace before the royal family’s memorable balcony appearance. She made a beeline for her brother, exclaiming, “Hello, old bean.” While they clearly take their royal duties seriously, they are not afraid to share lighter moments. They’ve been seen laughing together at Buckingham Palace, during the Braemar Games, and during the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

Princess Anne and King Charles both have a passion for horse riding, a shared interest passed down from their mother, Queen Elizabeth II, who adored riding. Anne is an accomplished equestrian. She was the first British royal to compete at the Olympics, participating in the 1976 Montreal Games. She also competed in several European Three-Day Event Championships, securing gold and silver medals.

Charles, meanwhile, had a deep affection for polo, a sport likely inspired by his father. He played his first major game at 17 and was part of teams like Les Diables Bleus and the Maple Leafs. He retired from polo in 2005 after more than 40 years in the sport.

Another shared interest between the siblings is gardening. Charles and Anne bonded over gardening during their youth at Buckingham Palace. During a conversation with Simon Armitage on Radio 4’s “The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed,” Charles reminisced, “My sister and I had a little vegetable patch in the back of some border somewhere. We had great fun trying to grow tomatoes rather unsuccessfully and things like that.”

Charles continued, “There was a wonderful Head Gardener at Buckingham Palace, called Mr. Nutbeam. He helped us a bit with our little garden.”

Charles has applied his gardening skills at his numerous royal residences, including Highgrove House, which is home to The Highgrove Garden. He even designed a garden for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in 2001, called the Carpet Garden, which won a silver-gilt medal.

Anne once described herself as the “eyes and ears” of the monarchy. Following her brother’s accession to the throne, she has been one of Charles’s most trusted aides and an unwavering pillar of support. During His Majesty’s coronation, Anne took on the role of Charles’ Gold Stick-in-Waiting, a formal bodyguard position.

She resumed her role as the monarch’s bodyguard in November 2023 during the State Opening of Parliament.