Princess Anne's coronation portrait position 'no accident' as King Charles sends powerful message

Princess Anne's coronation portrait position is “no accident” as King Charles sends a powerful message with a special group photo. 

• Princess Anne and her fellow working royals appeared in a significant new coronation portrait alongside King Charles and Queen Camilla released after the big day.
• In this family snap the Princess Royal is standing right next to His Majesty and this is apparently “no accident”.
• This royal news comes as Kate Middleton wore a huge flower in her hair in a major move away from her usual style and we're obsessed with her powder blue dress. 

Whilst many members of the immediate and extended Royal Family came together to watch King Charles and Queen Camilla crowned on May 6 only a select few received official roles or joined the procession back to Buckingham Palace. Whilst Prince George and three of Queen Camilla’s grandchildren were Pages of Honor his great-aunt Princess Anne was the “Gold-Stick-In-Waiting” to King Charles. She led the procession of Armed Forces and appeared on the balcony alongside the King, Queen and other working royals.

At the end of the coronation weekend the palace shared several official coronation portraits taken by photographer Hugo Burnand, including a special group shot. And according to a royal expert, Princess Anne’s coronation portrait position was reportedly “no accident”.   

In the group coronation portrait, working royals are arranged around King Charles and Queen Camilla, with Princess Anne standing immediately next to His Majesty on the right side of the picture. Getting candid with MailOnline, royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams has suggested that Princess Anne's coronation portrait position was not only deliberate but reflected how experienced she is.

“Princess Anne's proximity to the sovereign, that's no accident,” Richard claimed. “She's experienced and hard-working. Anne's been at it a long long time, she knows the ropes. The King knows how popular she is, so it's no accident his sister is next door to him.”

He went on to express his belief that King Charles has recognized how well regarded she is amongst fans and showcased his immense respect for too. 

The royal expert declared, “It shows how much he appreciates her and how much he will be relying on her, she is extremely popular and has a high profile. People know who she is and respect her, that's very important.”

Another aspect that perhaps reinforces this sense of her position being significant is that the royal standing on the left side of the photo next to Queen Camilla is Prince William. He is first in the royal line of succession whilst his aunt is 16th, but both are dedicated working royals who are in the most prominent positions in the picture other than King Charles and Queen Camilla themselves. 

This isn’t the first time that the Princess Royal has been honored by King Charles since he ascended the throne. Princess Anne’s prestigious role was restored to her by King Charles last year when she was made an additional Counselor of State.

This is a position usually only held by the first four royals in line to the throne and the monarch’s spouse. King Charles' huge decision to restore this role to his sister so early on in his reign could be seen as a major sign of his trust in and respect for her. Princess Anne’s coronation portrait position in the photo taken on the biggest day of King Charles’ life could be seen to have sent a powerful message signaling how important Princess Anne is to him and the Royal Family.