Anne, Princess Royal
Anne, Princess Royal (Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise; born 15 August 1950) is a member of the British royal family. She is the second child and only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the only sister of King Charles III. Anne was born 3rd in the line of succession to the British throne and is now 17th, and has been, since 1987, Princess Royal, a title held for life.
Born at Clarence House, Anne was educated at Benenden School and began undertaking royal duties upon reaching adulthood. She became a respected equestrian, winning one gold medal in 1971 and two silver medals in 1975 at the European Eventing Championships. In 1976, she became the first member of the British royal family to compete in the Olympic Games. In 1998, the Princess Royal became a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC)
Anne performs official duties and engagements on behalf of the monarch. She is patron or president of over 300 organizations, including WISE, Riders for Health, and Carers Trust. Her work in charities centers on sports, sciences, people with disabilities, and health in developing countries. She has been associated with Save the Children for over fifty years and has visited a number of its projects.
Anne married Captain Mark Phillips in 1973; they separated in 1989 and divorced in 1992. They have two children, Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall, and five grandchildren .Within months of her divorce in 1992, Anne married Commander (later Vice Admiral) Sir Timothy Laurence, whom she had met while he served as her mother's equerry between 1986 and 1989.
Early Life and Education
Anne was born at Clarence House on 15 August 1950 at 11:50 a.m. during the reign of her maternal grandfather, King George VI. She is the second child and only daughter of Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh (later Queen Elizabeth II), and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. A 21-gun salute in Hyde Park signal the birth. Anne was baptized in the Music Room of Buckingham Palace on 21 October 1950, by the Archbishop of York, Cyril Garbett. At the time of her birth, she was third in the line of succession to the British throne, behind her mother and older brother, Charles (later King Charles III).
She rose to second in 1952 after her grandfather's death and her mother's accession; she is currently 17th in line.
A governess, Catherine Peebles, was appointed to look after Anne and her brothers, Charles, Andrew, and Edward.
Peebles was responsible for Anne's early education at Buckingham Palace. Given her young age at the time, Anne did not attend her mother's coronation in June 1953.
A Girl Guides company, the 1st Buckingham Palace Company to include the Holy Trinity Brompton Brownie pack, was re-formed in May 1959, specifically so that, as her mother and aunt had done as children, Anne could socialize with girls her own age. The company was active until 1963, when Anne went to boarding school. Anne enrolled at Benenden School in 1963. In 1968, she left school with six GCE O-Levels and two A-Levels. She began to undertake royal engagements in 1969, at the age of 18.
In 1970, Anne briefly had a relationship with Andrew Parker Bowles, who later married Camilla Shand. Camilla later became the second wife and queen consort of Anne's eldest brother, Charles III. Anne was also briefly linked to Olympic equestrian Richard Meade.
Equestrianism
In spring 1971, Princess Anne finished fourth at the Rushall Horse Trails. At age 21, Anne won the individual title at the European Eventing Championship with her home-bred horse Doublet and was voted the BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 1971. She also rode winners in horse racing, competing in the Grand Military Steeplechase in Sandown Park Racecourse and Diamond Stakes at Royal Ascot.
For more than five years, she also competed with the British eventing team, winning a silver medal in both individual and team disciplines in the 1975 European Eventing Championship.
The following year, Anne participated in the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal as a member of the British team, riding Queen’s horse, Goodwill, in Eventing. Anne suffered a concussion halfway through the course but remounted and finished the event; she has stated she cannot remember making the rest of the jumps. The British team had to pull out of the competition after two horses were injured. She finished fourth at the Badminton Horse Trails in 1974 and sixth in 1979, having participated five times in the competition between 1971 and 1979. In 1985, she rode in a charity horse race at the Epsom Derby, finishing fourth.
Anne assumed the presidency of the Federation Equestre Internationale from 1986 until 1994. On 5 February 1987, she became the first member of the royal family to appear as a contestant on a television quiz show when she competed on the BBC panel game A Question of Sport. The princess has been a patron of the Riding for the Disabled Association since 1971 and became its president in 1985, a position she still holds.
Marriages and Children
Marriage to Mark Phillips
Anne met Mark Phillips, a lieutenant in the 1st Queen’s Dragoon Guards, in 1968 at a party for horse lovers. Their engagement was announced on 29 May 1973. On 14 November 1973, the couple married at Westminster Abbey in a televised ceremony, with an estimated audience of 100 million.
They subsequently took up residence at Gatcombe Park. As was customary for untitled men marrying into the royal family, Phillips was offered an earldom, which he declined; consequently their children were born without titles. Anne and her husband had two children: Peter (born 1977) and Zara Phillips (born 1981). Anne and Phillips have five grandchildren. On 31 August 1989, Anne and Phillips announced their intention to separate; the couple had been rarely seen in public together and both were romantically linked with other people. They shared custody of their children, and initially announced that “there were no plans for divorce.” However, on 13 April 1992 the Palace announced that Anne had filed for divorce, which was finalized ten days later.
Marriage to Sir Timothy Laurence
Anne met Timothy Laurence, a commander in the Royal Navy, while he was serving on the Royal Yacht Britannia. Their relationship developed in early 1989, three years after he was appointed as an equerry to the Queen.
In 1989, the existence of private letters from Laurence to the Princess was revealed by The Sun newspaper. The couple married at Crathie Kirk near Balmoral Castle in Scotland, on 12 December 1992. Approximately 30 guests were invited for the private marriage service. Unlike the Church of England at the time, Church of Scotland considered marriage to be an ordinance of religion rather than a sacrament and permitted the remarriage of divorced persons under certain circumstances. Anne became the first royal divorcee to remarry since Princess Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, granddaughter of Queen Victoria.
For the wedding ceremony, Anne wore a white jacked over a “demure, cropped-to-the-knee dress” and a spray of white flowers in her hair.
Her engagement ring was made of “a cabochon sapphire flanked by three small diamonds on each side.” Following the marriage service, the couple and guests headed to Craigowan Lodge for a private reception. Laurence received no peerage.
Kidnapping Attempt
On 20 March 1974, Princess Anne and Mark Phillips were returning to Buckingham Palace from a charity event when a Ford Escort forced their Princess IV car to stop on The Mall.
The driver of the Escort, Ian Ball, jumped out and began firing a pistol. Inspector James Beaton, Anne’s personal police officer, exited the car to shield her and to try to disarm Ball.
Beaton’s firearm, a Walther PPK, jammed, and he was shot by Ball, as was Anne’s chauffeur, Alex Callender, when he tried to disarm Ball.
Brian McConnell, a nearby tabloid journalist, also intervened, and was shot in the chest.
Ball approached Anne’s car and told her that he intended to kidnap her and hold her for ransom, the sum given by varying sources as $2 million or $3 million, which he claimed he intended to give to the National Health Service. Ball told Anne to get out of the car, to which she replied, “Not bloody likely!” She reportedly briefly considered hitting Ball.
Eventually, Anne exited the other side of the limousine, as had her lady-in-waiting, Rowena Brassey. A passing pedestrian, a former boxer named Ron Russell, punched Ball and led Anne away from the scene. At that point, Police Constable Michael Hills happened upon the scene; he too was shot by Ball, but he had already called for police backup. Detective Constable Peter Edmonds answered, gave chase, and finally arrested Ball.
Titles and Styles
15 August 1950-6 February 1952: Her Royal Highness Princess Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise of Edinburgh
6 February 1952-15 November 1973: Her Royal Highness The Princess Anne
15 November 1973-13 June 1987: Her Royal Highness The Princess Anne, Mrs. Mark Phillips
13 June 1987-present Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal
Honors
United Kingdom
-Recipient of the Royal Family Order of Queen Elizabeth II
-Dame of Justice of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem (25 January 1971)
-Dame Grand Cross of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem (5 May 2009)
-Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (15 August 1974)
-Grand Master of the Royal Victorian Order (20 April 2007)
-New Zealand: Extra Companion of the Queen's Service Order (1990)
-England: Royal Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter (23 April 1994)
-Scotland: Extra Knight of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle (30 November 2000)
-Papua New Guinea: Royal Chief Grand Companion of the Order of Logohu
-Canada: Extraordinary Commander of the Order of Military Merit (12 April 2022)
-United Kingdom: Personal Aide-de-Camp: to the Sovereign (15 June 2023)
Decorations and Medals
-United Kingdom Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal (2 June 1953)
- United Kingdom Queen ELizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal (6 February 1977)
-Canada: Canadian Forces' Decoration with two clasps (1989)
-New Zealand: New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal (9 February 1990)
-United Kingdom: Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal (6 February 2002)
-Canada: Commemorative Medal for the Centennial of Saskatchewan (27 May 2005)
-United Kingdom: Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (6 February 2012)
-United Kingdom: Naval Long Service and Good Conduct Medal with two clasps (2016)
-United Kingdom: Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal (6 February 2022)
-United Kingdom: King Charles III Coronation Medal (6 May 2023)
-United Kingdom: Serice Medal of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem with two gold bars
