King Charles Stuns Everyone with a Surprising Birthday Tribute to Princess Anne—Childhood Secrets and Coronation Drama Revealed!

Happy birthday, Princess Anne!

The Princess Royal turned 74 on Tuesday, and King Charles was among the first to send a celebratory message on social media.

“Wishing Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal a very Happy Birthday today!” the Royal Family tweeted with a birthday cake emoji, posting two photos of Queen Elizabeth’s eldest son and only daughter.

The first shot showed Anne and Charles, 75, sharing a smile on his May 6 coronation day. The newly crowned King beamed in the Imperial State Crown and Robe of Estate, while uniform-clad Anne looked at her brother with love. Their tight bond was clear in the Buckingham Palace snap from royal photographer Chris Jackson (who noted on Instagram the picture was “previously unseen”) — just like it was in the throwback photo!

Courtiers completed Anne’s birthday post with a childhood shot of her and Charles, taken at Clarence House in July 1951. The sweet photo from the Royal Collection Trust showed a 2 ½-year-old Charles and 11-month-old Anne sitting in prams positioned side by side.

The future King held his baby sister’s hand and leaned to speak to her — in an image that might look familiar! Charles’ former Clarence House office also shared the shot for Anne’s birthday in 2021.

Last week, the Princess Royal received something of an early birthday gift — a new military title. On Friday, Buckingham Palace and King Charles announced the new appointments and affiliations for nine members of the royal family, where Princess Anne was made Deputy Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. The palace said that the royal role recognizes “Her Royal Highness’s strong links to Scotland” and existing ties to the regiment as Colonel-in-Chief of the 1st Battalion, The Ranger Regiment and 6th Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland.

King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William, Prince Edward, Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, Prince Richard and Birgitte, the Duchess of Gloucester were also awarded appointments. The cohort already held a range of military affiliations, and the update comes a month ahead of King Charles’ first Accession Day on Sept. 8.

“Following His Majesty’s Accession, The King is pleased to announce further military appointments for working Members of the Royal Family,” the palace said in a statement. “The new appointments will continue to reflect the close relationship between the Armed Forces and the Royal Family in His Majesty’s reign.”

Princess Anne was perhaps tapped for a special assignment on coronation day because of the close bond she and Charles share. Following the crowning of the King and Queen Camilla at Westminster Abbey in May, the Princess Royal trotted into the spotlight as Gold-Stick-in-Waiting for the parade back to the palace. She was the only member of the royal family to saddle up instead of taking a carriage.

Riding on horseback behind the King and Queen in the storybook Gold State Coach, Princess Anne led 6,000 armed services personnel to Buckingham Palace — a thoughtful honor reflective of the relationship she and King Charles share, her daughter Zara Tindall exclusively told PEOPLE.

“It’s a busy time for them all, and her and her brother are very close, so it’s a nice thing to do,” Zara told PEOPLE before coronation day.

The prestigious Gold Stick position, which Anne has held since 1998, dates back to the 15th century when two officers — a Gold Stick and a Silver Stick — kept close to the monarch to protect them from harm. Processing on horseback was fitting for the lifelong equestrian, who rode in the Olympics and remains involved in the horse world today.

“I have a role as the Colonel of the Blues and Royals in the Household Cavalry regiment as Gold Stick [in Waiting]. And Gold Stick was the original close protection officer. So that is a role I was asked if I’d like to do for this coronation, so I said yes,” Princess Anne told CBC News in the spring.

“Not least of all, it solves my dress problem,” she joked.