Anne, Princess Royal

Lore & Background

Anne married Captain Mark Phillips in 1973; they separated in 1989 and divorced in 1992. They have two children, Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall. In 1992, she married Commander (now Vice Admiral) Sir Timothy Laurence. She has been closely associated with Save the Children for more than fifty years and serves as patron or honorary president of over 300 organisations, focusing on sport, science, disability, and health in developing countries.

Reader's Guide

Anne, Princess Royal, holds a unique place in British royal history as the first member of the family to compete in the Olympic Games, demonstrating a personal commitment to equestrian sport that earned her multiple European championship medals. Her charitable work, spanning over five decades, has had a significant impact on organisations such as Save the Children and the Riding for the Disabled Association. With more than 20,000 official engagements since 1968, she is one of the hardest-working members of the royal family. Her survival of a 1974 kidnapping attempt highlighted her composure under threat. As Princess Royal, she continues to undertake duties on behalf of the monarch, maintaining a legacy of service and dedication to causes in sport, science, disability, and international health.

Did You Know?

• Anne was born third in line to the British throne and is 17th in line as of 2024.
• She won a gold medal at the 1971 European Eventing Championships and two silver medals in 1975.
• In 1974, a kidnapping attempt on Anne was foiled; she told the gunman 'Not bloody likely!'
• She has been a

Equestrian Career and Historic Olympic Debut

Anne's most celebrated public identity is rooted in the saddle. In 1971, at just twenty-one, she claimed the individual title at the European Eventing Championship aboard her home-bred horse Doublet, an achievement that earned her the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award that same year. Her competitive record extended to the 1975 European Championships, where she secured silver medals in both the individual and team disciplines. The following year marked a historic first: Anne became the first member of the British royal family to compete at the Olympic Games, riding the Queen's horse Goodwill in the Montreal eventing team. During that cross-country phase she sustained a concussion, yet remounted and finished the course with no recollection of the remaining jumps. The British team ultimately withdrew after two horses were injured. Beyond the Olympics, she competed five times at the Badminton Horse Trials between 1971 and 1979, and served as president of the Fédération Équestre Internationale from 1986 to 1994. Her long-standing commitment to equestrian accessibility is reflected in her role as president of the Riding for the Disabled Association, a position she has held since 1985.

Royal Duties and Charitable Patronage

Since stepping into official royal engagements at the age of eighteen in 1969, Anne has accumulated an extraordinary public service record, attending more than twenty thousand events on behalf of the monarch. Her portfolio of patronages and honorary presidencies now spans over three hundred organisations, encompassing a wide range of causes. Among the most prominent are WISE, Riders for Health, the Carers Trust, and Transaid. Her charitable focus gravitates toward sport, science, disability, and healthcare in developing nations. One of her most enduring commitments is her association with Save the Children, a partnership stretching back more than fifty years during which she has visited numerous projects supported by the charity across the globe. In 1987 she was granted the title of Princess Royal, and the following year she joined the International Olympic Committee, a role that bridged her sporting background with institutional governance. Her sheer volume of appearances and the breadth of her patronages make her one of the most active working members of the royal household.

Two Marriages and the Choice to Decline a Title

Anne's personal life has been shaped by two marriages and the deliberate choices she made about royal protocol. She met Captain Mark Phillips, a lieutenant in the 1st Queen's Dragoon Guards, at a gathering for horse enthusiasts in 1968. Their 1973 wedding at Westminster Abbey was broadcast on television and drew an estimated audience of one hundred million. The couple settled at Gatcombe Park and had two children, Peter in 1977 and Zara in 1981. Notably, both Anne and Phillips declined the customary earldom offered to untitled men marrying into the family, meaning their children were born without royal titles. After a separation announced in 1989, the divorce was finalised in April 1992. That same year, Anne married Commander Sir Timothy Laurence, whom she had met while he served as an equerry to the Queen. He has since risen to the rank of Vice Admiral. Together, Anne and Phillips have five grandchildren, and her family life continues to evolve alongside her public responsibilities.

Early Life, Education, and the Road to Public Service

Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise entered the world at 11:50 a.m. on 15 August 1950 at Clarence House, London, during the reign of her maternal grandfather, King George VI. A twenty-one-gun salute in Hyde Park marked the birth of the second child and only daughter of Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh. Her baptism took place on 21 October in the Music Room at Buckingham Palace, performed by the Archbishop of York, Cyril Garbett. At birth she stood third in the line of succession; following her grandfather's death in 1952, she moved up to second. Her early schooling was overseen by governess Catherine Peebles at Buckingham Palace, and she was too young to attend her mother's coronation in 1953. In 1959, a Girl Guides unit was specifically re-formed so that Anne could socialise with peers her own age, following the example set by her mother and aunt Princess Margaret. She then boarded at Benenden School from 1963 to 1968, leaving with six GCE O-Levels and two A-Levels before entering public royal life at eighteen.

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