Here’s How Princess Anne Made History At The Queen’s Vigil

A rare royal tradition was performed Monday, September 12, following the heartbreaking death of Queen Elizabeth II.

King Charles III, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward all silently followed their mother’s casket through the streets of Edinburgh as it traveled by hearse from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St. Giles Cathedral, the Associated Press reports. Once inside the church, the Associated Press adds that the queen’s coffin was placed “on a wooden stand and topped with the golden Crown of Scotland” where it will remain until Tuesday, September 13, giving the public a chance to visit and pay their respects.

As the public began to file past the coffin, the queen’s children stood guard on the four sides of her coffin. Video shows they stood with their backs to the coffin and had their heads bowed, King Charles III standing at the head, dressed in a kilt.

According to the Independent, this is a tradition known as the “Vigil of the Princes,” first held in 1936 following the passing of King Edward VIII. The only other time the vigil has been observed was in 2002, when King Charles III — then, Prince Charles, Prince of Wales — stood with Prince Andrew, Prince Edward, and David Armstrong-Jones, the ex-husband of Princess Margaret, for the Queen Mother.

The vigil, which lasts for 15 minutes, has only been performed by men in the past. Princess Anne, dressed in military uniform, is the first woman to perform the “Vigil of the Princes.”