Prince Philip very sadly passed away on Friday aged 99. The royal was very close to his only daughter, Princess Anne, and had a special place in her father's heart. In honour of her beautiful father-daughter relationship, HELLO! has taken a closer look at Anne's bond with her father.
MORE: Prince Philip's most memorable quotes and witty one-liners
The Princess Royal was born in 1950, a year after the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh welcomed Prince Charles into the world. The royal couple went on to have their third and fourth children - Princes Andrew and Edward - almost a decade later.
© Photo: RexPrincess Anne was believed to be Prince Philip's favourite child
Close friends and family have previously been open about Philip's relationship with his children - with many claiming that Anne is his favourite child. The Princess has inherited many qualities from her father, showing her love for sports and dedicating her life as a working royal. Eileen Parker, wife of Philip's close friend Mike Parker, previously revealed via Daily Mail: "[Philip] always had more fun with Anne. Charles is more like the Queen, while Anne is very like Prince Philip."
The pair were very close
On the day Princess Anne was born - 15 August 1950 - Philip was promoted to the rank of lieutenant-commander in the Royal Navy. After the birth, he allegedly told everyone: "It's the sweetest girl." When she was growing up in the royal household, Anne confessed that she didn't mind that her parents weren't around much.
MORE: How Prince Philip was always the Queen's rock
READ: Prince Philip's sweetest family pictures with his children and grandchildren
"They were supportive and never really quibbled about what you wanted to do," she said, according to royal biographer Ingrid Seward. "There were occasional comments like - 'Was that really a good idea?' I don't think that any of us for a second thought that she [the Queen] didn't care for us in the same way as any other mother did."
© Photo: Getty ImagesPrince Philip and his daughter shared a love of sports
Having entered the public life at age 18, Anne has dedicated the majority of her time to serving her country. She is often hailed as one of the most hardest-working royals and also topped the list last year carrying out an astonishing 540 official duties both at home and overseas.
In 2017, Prince Philip announced his retirement at the age of 96 after 65 years of service. When Anne was asked about whether she would ever slow down on her commitments, she told the BBC in 2010: "Look around at the members of my family who are considerably older than me and tell me whether they have set an example which suggests I might - unlikely."
Anne opened up about her father for ITV
In a pre-recorded interview with ITV, the Princess Royal has admitted life will be difficult without him. "Without him life will be completely different," she said. Of her the late royal's legacy, Prince Anne added: "But from society's perspective he was able to keep pace with the kind of technological changes that have such an impact… but above all that it's not about the technology it's about the people."
Anne was Philip's only daughter
Out of all the Queen's children, Anne has been the most successful in leading an independent identity, both as a professional horsewoman and in her charity work. And in order to lead a relatively normal life, Anne turned down royal titles for her own children, Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall, knowing that her position in the line of succession would be moved down once her brothers had children.
Make sure you never miss a ROYAL story! Sign up to our newsletter to get all of our celebrity, royal and lifestyle news delivered directly to your inbox.
