Princess Anne was joined by one of her distant relatives, the Duke of Gloucester, when the pair headed to France to mark the 110th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme in World War I.
During the visit, the pair headed to the Thiepval Memorial, the largest Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) memorial by number of casualties commemorated at over 72,000. The memorial honours British and South African soldiers who died between 1915 and 1918 but have no known gravesite.
Anne, in her capacity as President of the CWGC, and the Duke both unveiled UNESCO plaques at the memorial. The pair then headed to a service held at Ulster Tower, which commemorates the Irishmen of the 36th (Ulster) Division who fell in the Battle of the Somme, along with Ulstermen who served in other units.
Following this engagement, the royal pair went their separate ways. Anne subsequently headed to the Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial, which honours the 821 Newfoundland servicemen who lost their lives in WWI and have no known gravesite.
© AFP via Getty ImagesMeanwhile, the Duke of Gloucester attended commemorations at the Guillemont Road Cemetery. The cemetery, which was built in 1916, initially housed soldiers killed during the Battle of Guillemont, but was expanded following the Armistice as a gravesite for others who lost their lives during the wider Battle of the Somme.
Who is the Duke of Gloucester?
Although Prince Richard, known as the Duke of Gloucester, keeps a low profile, he remains a working royal, with he and his wife, the Duchess of Gloucester, carrying out various royal engagements during the year.
The royal family's website says: "He attends national and international events in support of The King and his duties as Head of State, as well as undertaking extensive public duties and engagements every year reflecting his own interests and charities."
The Duke has carried out royal visits to countries such as Malawi and the Solomon Islands, and during the late Queen's funeral in 2022, he formed part of the cortege that walked with royal's coffin from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall, where it laid in state for a week.
Due to his and his wife's status as working royals, they were able to join King Charles and other senior members of the royal family on the Buckingham Palace balcony during Trooping the Colour.
© Getty ImagesRichard was the late Queen's cousin, with the pair sharing King George V as their grandfather. His father, Prince Henry, was Queen Elizabeth's uncle.
