Princess Anne leads Anzac Day commemorations in purple "mourning" coat
Princess Anne has attended Anzac commemorations in London, representing the royal family just a week after the funeral of her father Prince Philip.
The Princess Royal was accompanied by her husband Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence for the dawn service at the Australian and New Zealand war memorials at Wellington Arch in London.
Princess Anne laid a wreath at the memorial and signed a book of remembrance.
The couple attended the Anzac Day Service of Commemoration and Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey afterwards.
Anzac Day has been commemorated in London since the first anniversary of the ANZAC landings at Gallipoli in 1916, when King George V attended a service at the Abbey.
Princess Anne opted for a bright purple coat for the service, which was a far cry from the black she was seen wearing for her father's funeral.
Former royal family lady's maid Alicia Healey says purple has long been associated with mourning.
"While the official period of Royal mourning for the Duke of Edinburgh is over, purple is often a colour that is worn after black when in mourning," Healey explained on her official Instagram account.
"So, it was an apt colour choice for today's remembrance service in honour of Australians and New Zealanders who have died in war.
Healey worked at Buckingham Palace from 2006-2010, which is where she learned the rules around which colours are suitable to wear at various events.
"In Victorian times full mourning lasted a year followed by half-mourning where purple, lilac, grey and white were worn," Healey concluded.