Princess Royal makes first visit after Prince Philip's death
- Published
Princess Anne visited the Royal Yacht Squadron on the Isle of Wight
The Princess Royal has made her first in-person appearance at an official event since her father's death.
Princess Anne met with members of the Royal Yacht Squadron (RYS) on the Isle of Wight - the prestigious club the Duke of Edinburgh was once admiral of.
The duke's only daughter spoke of her links and "early memories of sailing" at the Cowes-based club.
The princess's visit comes ahead of her father's funeral on Saturday at Windsor Castle.
Prince Philip, who died aged 99 on Friday, was Admiral of the Royal Yacht Squadron, patron of a number of clubs and president of the Royal Yachting Association.
The princess reminisced about her early sailing days during the visit
Asked by club commodore Jamie Sheldon about the vessels she had sailed on, she said: "I started really with Bloodhound [yacht]. I then regressed to dinghy sailing for a bit."
She smiled as she spoke with some of the younger sailors and asked about their experiences on the water before leaving on a boat called "Warrior" and heading to the Royal Victoria Yacht Club in Fishbourne.
It was announced at the weekend that the royals and their households would observe two weeks of mourning, with members of the royal family "continuing to undertake engagements appropriate to the circumstances", according to a royal official.
Princess Anne was pictured with her father at the London 2012 Olympics
In a statement on the Royal Family's website, external following the duke's death, Princess Anne described him as her "teacher, supporter and critic".
She said she "most wanted to emulate" her father's example of a "life well lived and service freely given".
Prince Philip will be remembered in a service at St George's Chapel in the grounds of Windsor Castle on Saturday.
The televised event will be carried out in line with Covid restrictions but there will be a military presence with personnel from the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Army and RAF.
Buckingham Palace said the plans "very much" reflected the duke's wishes.
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