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King Charles III's sweet bond with Princess Anne in 11 photos

The sibling duo are incredibly close

charles anne close bond
Danielle Stacey
Online Royal CorrespondentLondon
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King Charles and his younger sister, the Princess Royal, are only two years apart and have shared a close bond from an early age.

MORE: The Queen's funeral: the most emotional moments

The siblings were just toddlers when their mother, the Queen, ascended the throne and they relied on one another for company when their parents were away on royal tours. 

WATCH: Queen's children mount vigil around their mother's coffin in tribute

The pair have also been present for key moments in each other's lives, such as Charles' investiture as the Prince of Wales in 1969, Anne's participation in the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, and the recent passing of their mother.

HELLO! takes a look at some of their best moments together…

PHOTOS: The Queen's funeral as it happened: most moving royal moments

READ: Will King Charles III wear the same crown as the Queen at his coronation?

Princess Anne and King Charles as children

prince charles and princess anne as children© Photo: Getty Images

Charles and Anne were pictured playing together outside a miniature house in the grounds of Windsor Castle in 1954.

Princess Anne and King Charles in Malta

princess anne prince charles in malta© Photo: Getty Images

Charles lent a helping hand to his little sister as they were reunited with their parents in Malta in 1954 after the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh's long tour of the Commonwealth.

MORE: What will ER change to when Charles is king?

King Charles and Princess Anne as teenagers

prince charles princess anne as teenagers© Photo: Getty Images

The teenage royal siblings were seen enjoying a stroll together around Windsor Great Park in April 1968.

Charles and Anne began carrying out official duties after finishing their education, and accompanied their parents on royal tours, including Australia and New Zealand.

The King and the Princess Royal are often listed as the two most hard-working royals within the family, carrying out hundreds of engagements each year.

MORE: The touching meaning behind the Queen's funeral flowers and King Charles III's input

Princess Anne and King Charles horse riding

princess anne prince charles horse riding© Photo: Getty Images

The pair, pictured in Windsor in 1969, also share a love of horse riding, with Anne being an accomplished equestrian and Charles playing polo competitively until the age of 57.

SEE: Best photos of royals at the Cheltenham Festival, including Kate Middleton, Zara Tindall and the Queen

King Charles and Princess Anne at the Prince of Wales' investiture

prince charles at his investiture© Photo: Getty Images

Charles arrived at his investiture in 1969 with his sister Anne by his side. The Princess was too young to attend her mother's Coronation in 1953. 

SEE: 9 pictures which prove Princess Anne had the closest bond with her late dad Prince Philip

Prince Charles and Princess Anne at Royal Ascot

prince charles princess anne at ascot© Photo: Getty Images

Charles and Anne always look like they have such fun together, particularly at sporting events. The pair looked like they had a good catchup at Royal Ascot in 2012.

MORE: 14 of Princess Anne's most iconic outfits ever

King Charles and Princess Anne in Scotland

prince charles princess anne in scotland© Photo: Getty Images

We love this snap of the pair giggling together at the 2010 Braemar Highland Games. Before her passing, the Queen used to attend the event with her family during the royals' summer break at Balmoral.

MORE: Princess Anne: The Princess Royal's funniest moments

King Charles and Princess Anne at the Braemar Highland Games

prince charles princess anne laughing scotland© Photo: Getty Images

We couldn't not include this hilarious image. We'd love to know what made the pair laugh so much at the 2017 Braemar Highland Games.

Charles and Anne are both known for their sense of humour, and a clip at a Buckingham Palace event in 2018 showed the King sneaking up on his younger sister to give her a small fright!

King Charles and Princess Anne at St James's Palace

prince charles and princess anne higher education engagement© Photo: Getty Images

On occasion, the Queen's eldest children carry out joint engagements together, and always look to be having a good time in each other's company.

Here they are attending a reception after presenting the Queen's Anniversary Prizes for higher and further education in February 2022.

King Charles and Princess Anne at the Platinum Jubilee

prince charles and princess anne platinum jubilee© Photo: Getty Images

We'd love to know what had the King in stitches and what Anne said to Charles as the siblings attended the Platinum Pageant over the Queen's Platinum Jubilee weekend in June 2022.

King Charles and Princess Anne at the Queen's funeral

King Charles and Princess Anne © Photo: Getty Images

On 19 September 2022, the royal family gathered to bid a final farewell to the late Queen. Princess Anne was a true pillar of support as she walked by Charles’ side during the moving coffin procession towards Windsor Castle.  

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