Princess Anne stepped in for King Charles on Tuesday, traveling to Scotland for an important royal duty.
Princess Anne, 74, presided over an investiture ceremony at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, carrying out the honor on behalf of the monarch. Dressed in her traditional naval uniform with gold trim, she presented awards to recipients at the royal family’s official Scottish residence.
This marked the first investiture of the year at Holyroodhouse, where ceremonies are occasionally held alongside the more frequent ones at Buckingham Palace or Windsor Castle.
Typically, investitures are conducted by the King, the Princess Royal, or the Prince of Wales, with around 30 taking place annually, each attended by over sixty honorees.
Meanwhile, King Charles, 76, had a separate engagement on Tuesday, visiting the Royal Navy’s flagship, HMS Prince of Wales, ahead of its deployment.
The King traveled to the warship in the English Channel, where he met with sailors and expressed his “heartfelt gratitude” for their service.
During his visit, Charles watched F-35B fighter jets perform landing exercises on the 65,000-tonne carrier, marking the first time in nearly 40 years that a reigning monarch has visited a Royal Navy warship at sea.
His trip came just as the crew prepared for an eight-month deployment to Japan, aimed at strengthening the UK’s defense partnerships and promoting global security.
Following the investiture ceremony, Princess Anne also attended a Royal Warrant Holders Association reception at Holyroodhouse, the monarchy’s official residence in Scotland, which dates back to its founding as a monastery in 1128.
