Princess Anne and her brother, King Charles, have an incredibly close relationship, with the Princess Royal always there to support her older sibling, even affectionately referring to him as "old bean."
While King Charles and Queen Camilla are on their royal tour of Australia and Somalia, Princess Anne is holding down the fort in the UK – and she's making sure to keep her brother close, via a subtle, heart-warming accessory.
Saturday saw Princess Anne and her husband, Sir Timothy Laurence attend the QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot Racecourse, with the 74-year-old wrapping up warm in a caramel coat, suede boots and chocolate leather gloves – but it was her scarf that caught our eye.
© Getty ImagesThe soft check number comes courtesy of King Charles' home in Gloucestershire, Highgrove House, and Princess Anne isn't the only royal family member to own the cosy item.
In fact, it is believed that King Charles gifted the item to his family last Christmas, when Princess Anne, Lady Louise Windsor and Sir Timothy Laurence wound the woolly garment around their necks for their traditional outing to church on Christmas morning.
Friends of the royal family also wore the scarf for the Christmas Day outing, including Samuel Chatto, Lady Sarah Chatto, Lady Margarita Armstrong-Jones, and the Earl of Snowdon.
© Joe Giddens - PA ImagesThe 'Highgrove Heritage Scarf' as it is known, retails at £150, and was dreamt up by the king himself.
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It is made from 100% ultrafine RWS (Responsible Wool Standard) merino wool, and the design takes the form of the iconic Prince of Wales check, which has been woven over an enlarged Shepherd check.
© Getty ImagesThe colour has a special meaning, too. The warm honey hue was inspired by the Highgrove Gardens, which is crafted from golden Cotswold stone.
Princess Anne's scarf collection
Princess Anne is rarely seen without a scarf, be it a practical, cosy number as she wore this weekend, or a decorative, silk-patterned scarf.
© SAMEER AL-DOUMYThe Princess Royal even went so far as to wear two scarves during an outing in Edinburgh this summer. Though the Scottish city is known for chilly climes, two scarves in August was notable!
Princess Anne also wears gloves for almost all public occasions, but this is likely a hygiene measure rather than an attempt to keep warm.
© Nicky J SimsAs someone who shakes hands with dozens of people daily, a pair of gloves to guard against germs seems a sensible idea – especially when she needs to stay well to maintain her title as the hardest-working royal!
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