Anne undertakes engagements and official duties on behalf of the monarch and serves aspatron or president of more than 300 organisations, includingWISE,Riders for Health,Carers Trust, andTransaid. Her charitable work focuses primarily on sport, science, disability, and health in developing countries. She has been closely associated withSave the Children for over fifty years and has visited numerous projects supported by the organisation worldwide.
Agoverness, Catherine Peebles, was appointed to oversee the early education of Anne and her brothers, Charles,Andrew, andEdward. Peebles supervised Anne's lessons atBuckingham Palace.[5] Owing to her young age, Anne did not attendher mother's coronation in June 1953.[6]
In May 1959, aGirl Guides unit, the1st Buckingham Palace Guide Company, incorporating the Holy Trinity Brompton Brownie pack, was re-formed specifically so that Anne, like her mother and her auntPrincess Margaret before her, could socialise with girls her own age. The company remained active until 1963, when Anne left forboarding school.[7] She enrolled atBenenden School in 1963, leaving in 1968 with sixGCEO-Levels and twoA-Levels.[5] She began undertaking royal engagements in 1969, at the age of 18.[8]
For more than five years, Anne competed with the Britisheventing team, winning silver medals in both the individual and team disciplines at the 1975 European Eventing Championship.[16] The following year, she took part in the1976 Olympic Games in Montreal as a member of the British team, riding the Queen's horse Goodwill in Eventing.[17] Anne suffered aconcussion halfway through the cross-country course but remounted and completed the event; she later stated that she had no memory of making the remaining jumps.[15] The British team subsequently withdrew from the competition after two horses were injured.[18][19] She finished fourth at theBadminton Horse Trials in 1974 and sixth in 1979, having competed in the event five times between 1971 and 1979.[12][20] In 1985, she rode in a charity race at theEpsom Derby, finishing fourth.[15]
Anne served as president of theFédération Équestre Internationale from 1986 until 1994.[21] 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 took part in the BBC panel gameA Question of Sport.[16] She has been a patron of theRiding for the Disabled Association since 1971 and became its president in 1985, a role she continues to hold.[22]
In June 2024, Anne was taken toSouthmead Hospital inBristol with minor injuries and concussion, believed to have been caused by an impact with a horse's legs or head.[23]
Anne metMark Phillips, a lieutenant in the1st Queen's Dragoon Guards, in 1968 at a party for horse enthusiasts.[24] Their engagement was announced on 29 May 1973.[25][26] On 14 November 1973, the couple married atWestminster Abbey in a televised ceremony watched by an estimated 100 million people.[27] They subsequently took up residence atGatcombe Park. Media reports stated that Phillips was offered anearldom, as was then customary for untitled men marrying into the royal family, but he and Anne declined the honour.[28] As a result, their children were born withouttitles.[29] The couple had two children:Peter (born 1977) andZara Phillips (born 1981).[30] Anne and Phillips have five grandchildren.
On 31 August 1989, Anne and Phillips announced their intention to separate; the couple had been rarely seen together in public, and both had been romantically linked with other people.[24][31][32] They shared custody of their children and initially stated that "there were no plans for divorce."[33][34] On 13 April 1992, the Palace announced that Anne had filed for divorce, which was finalised ten days later.[35][36]
The Princess Royal with her second husband, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence (2014)
Anne metTimothy Laurence, acommander in theRoyal Navy, while he was serving on theRoyal YachtBritannia. Their relationship developed in early 1989, three years after Laurence had been appointed anequerry to the Queen.[37] In 1989, the existence of private letters from Laurence to Anne was revealed byThe Sun newspaper.[32] The couple married atCrathie Kirk, nearBalmoral Castle in Scotland, on 12 December 1992.[38] The ceremony was conducted by Molly Croll, the local Ballater registrar.[39] Approximately 30 guests attended the private service.[40] Unlike theChurch of England at the time, theChurch of Scotland did not regard marriage as a bindingsacrament and therefore permitted the remarriage of divorced persons under certain circumstances.[41][42][43]
For the wedding, Anne wore a white jacket over a "demure, cropped-to-the-knee dress" and a spray of white flowers in her hair.[44] Her engagement ring was described as "acabochonsapphire flanked by three small diamonds on each side".[45] After the ceremony, the couple and their guests travelled toCraigowan Lodge for a private reception.[38] Laurence did not receive apeerage, although he was knighted in 2011.[46]
On 20 March 1974, Anne and Mark Phillips were returning to Buckingham Palace when a car forced their Rolls-Royce to stop onPall Mall.[47] The driver, Ian Ball, jumped out and began firing a pistol.InspectorJames Beaton, Anne's personal protection officer, left the car to shield her and attempted to disarm Ball. Beaton'sWalther PPK jammed, and he was shot, as was Anne's chauffeur, Alex Callender, when he tried to intervene.[47] Brian McConnell, a nearbytabloid journalist, also attempted to help and was shot in the chest.[48] Ball approached Anne's car and told her that he intended to kidnap her and hold her for ransom, the amount reported variously as £2 million[49] or £3 million, which he claimed he intended to donate to theNational Health Service.[50] When Ball ordered Anne to get out of the car, she replied, "Not bloody likely!" She reportedly considered striking him.[51] In 1983, she discussed the incident onParkinson, saying she had been 'scrupulously polite' to Ball because she thought it would be "silly to be too rude at that stage".[52]
Anne eventually exited from the opposite side of the limousine, as did herlady-in-waiting, Rowena Brassey. A passing pedestrian, former boxer Ron Russell, punched Ball and led Anne away from the scene.Police Constable Michael Hills then arrived; he too was shot, but had already called assistance.Detective ConstablePeter Edmonds responded, pursued Ball, and arrested him.[47] Beaton, who had been Anne's sole bodyguard, later reflected on royal security at the time "I had nothing… There was no back-up vehicle. The training was non-existent; but then again, [we thought] nothing was going to happen. They are highly specialised now, highly trained." Following the attack, the practice of assigning only a single protection officer was ended, and the Walther PPK was replaced.[53]
Beaton, Hills, Callender, and McConnell were hospitalised and recovered from their injuries. For his defence of Anne, Beaton was awarded theGeorge Cross by the Queen, who was visitingIndonesia when the incident occurred;[52] Hills and Russell were awarded theGeorge Medal, and Callender, McConnell, and Edmonds were awarded theQueen's Gallantry Medal.[54] Anne visited Beaton in hospital to thank him.[52] It was widely reported that the Queen paid off Russell's mortgage, but this was untrue: Russell stated in 2020 that a police officer had suggested it might happen, leading him to stop making payments and nearly lose his home after four months.[55]
Ball pleaded guilty to attempted murder and kidnapping. After being diagnosed with schizophrenia, he was detained in mental hospitals for 45 years and released in 2019. In 2025, he claimed innocence, stating that the attempt had been intended to fail as part of a stunt.[56] The attempted kidnapping is the subject of theGranada Television docudramaTo Kidnap a Princess (2006) and inspired storylines inTom Clancy's novelPatriot Games.[57]
Anne undertakes a wide range of duties and engagements on behalf of the sovereign.Kevin S. MacLeod, the thenCanadian Secretary to the Queen, said of her in 2014: "Her credo is, 'Keep me busy. I'm here to work. I'm here to do good things. I'm here to meet as many people as possible'."[58] In December 2017, it was reported that Anne had carried out the most official engagements that year of any member of the royal family, including the Queen.[59][60] Among her overseas visits, she has toured Norway,[61] Jamaica,[62] Germany,[63] Austria,[64] New Zealand, and Australia.[65]
Anne's first public engagement took place in 1969, when she opened an educational and training centre inShropshire. She travels abroad on behalf of the United Kingdom up to three times a year. She began undertaking overseas visits after leaving secondary school,[5] and accompanied her parents on astate visit to Austria in the same year.[66] Her first tour of Australia was with her parents in 1970, and she has returned many times since to carry out official engagements ascolonel-in-chief of an Australian regiment, or to attend memorials and services, including the National Memorial Service for victims of theBlack Saturday bushfires in Melbourne on 22 February 2009.[67] In 1990, she became the first member of the royal family to make an official visit to theSoviet Union, travelling there as a guest of PresidentMikhail Gorbachev and his government.[66][68]
The Princess Royal hosting an investiture ceremony at the residence of the British Consul General, October 2022
In August 2016, Anne returned to Russia to visit the city ofArkhangelsk for the 75th anniversary ofOperation Dervish, one of the firstArctic convoys of World War II.[69] The following month, she developed a chest infection and was required to cancel official engagements.[70] In late October 2016, she undertook a two-day study tour of the Malaysian state ofSarawak.[71] In April 2022, Anne and her husband toured Australia and Papua New Guinea to markthe Queen's Platinum Jubilee.[72][73] On 12 September 2022, atSt Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh, Anne became the first woman to participate in aVigil of the Princes, standing guard by her mother's coffin.[74] She repeated the vigil atWestminster Hall on 16 September.[75] It was later revealed that she had been the informant ather mother's death at Balmoral, signing the death certificate alongside the attending doctor.[76]
The Princess Royal visitsUSNSComfort on 11 July 2002, while the vessel docked atSouthampton.
Anne is involved with more than 200 charities and organisations in an official capacity. She works extensively withSave the Children, serving as its president from 1970 to 2017 and as patron since 2017.[77] She has visited the organisation's projects in Bangladesh, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Mozambique, Ethiopia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.[77] In recognition of her humanitarian work, she was nominated for theNobel Peace Prize in 1990 byKenneth Kaunda, President of Zambia.[77] She foundedThe Princess Royal Trust for Carers in 1991.[78] Her long-standing work forSt. John Ambulance as Commandant-in-Chief of St. John Ambulance Cadets, has supported the development of many young people, and she attends the annual Grand Prior Award Reception.[79][80] She is also patron ofSt. Andrew's First Aid.[81][82] In 2021, she became patron ofMercy Ships, an international charity that operates the world's largest non-governmentalhospital ships.[83]
The Princess Royal is one of the few women in the royal family who regularly wears a military uniform.
Anne has been described as the royal family's "trustiest anchor" and a "beacon of good, old-fashioned public service" and has carried out more than 20,000 engagements since her 18th birthday.[127] In her early adulthood, she was characterised as a "royal renegade" for choosing to forgo titles for her children despite being the "spare to the heir".[128] The media often labelled the young Anne "aloof" and "haughty", earning her the nickname "her royal rudeness".[127] She attracted controversy in 1982 when she told photographers to "naff off" at theBadminton Horse Trials.[129]Vanity Fair wrote that Anne "has a reputation for having inherited her father's famously sharp tongue and waspish wit".[129] Reflecting on her early public role, she said: "It's not just about 'can I get a tick in the box for doing this?' No, it's about serving… It took me probably 10 years before I really felt confident enough to contribute to Save the Children's public debates because you needed to understand how it works on the ground and that needed a very wide coverage. So my early trips were really important."[129] She has frequently been named the "hardest working royal",[130][131] and carried out 11,088 engagements between 2002 and 2022, more than any other member of the royal family.[132]
Anne remains one of Britain's most popular royals.[133][134][135]Telegraph editorCamilla Tominey has called her a "national treasure", describing her as "one of the great English eccentrics", whose work ethic underpins her public regard.[128] Tominey wrote that Anne's public role is a "contradiction of both protocol taskmaster and occasional rule-breaker".[127] Anne reportedly "insists on doing her own make-up and hair" and sometimes drives herself to engagements, having pleaded guilty to two separate speeding offences after running late.[127][136] In 1974, she became the first member of the royal family to hold anHGV licence, later saying "I was considering earning my living by driving, and with my HGV licence, I don't mind spending time on my own behind the wheel".[137][138] She does not shake hands with the public during walkabouts, explaining, "the theory was that you couldn't shake hands with everybody, so don't start."[127] Members of the public have seen her "mending fences at Gatcombe" and "queuing up for the Portaloos" at her daughter's horse competitions.[127] Her reputation is also linked to her advocacy for causes outside the mainstream, such as Wetwheels Foundation's commitment to accessible sailing and the National Lighthouse Museum.[127] On her 60th and 70th birthdays, both theBBC andVanity Fair asked whether she intended to retire; she denied it on both occasions, citing her parents' example and her commitment to her duty.[129] Her public personality has been described as "not suffering fools lightly" while maintaining a "still-impressive level of grace and courtesy".[139][140]
BritishVogue editorEdward Enninful has said that "Princess Anne is a true style icon and was all about sustainable fashion before the rest of us really knew what that meant".[129] Her style has been noted for its timelessness; she relies largely on British fashion brands, with tweed and tailored suits as her hallmarks.[129] She is known for recycling outfits, including a floral-print dress worn both to thewedding of the Prince of Wales in 1981 and the wedding of Lady Rose Windsor in 2008.[141] Anne is patron of the UK Fashion and Textile Association.[142] She has been noted for wearing "bold patterns and vibrant pops of colour".[143] Her clothing choices often reflect her equestrian interests and the practicality required by her fast-paced schedule.[144][129] In the 1970s and 1980s, she was frequently photographed in trends such as puff sleeves, cardigans, bright floral patterns, and multicoloured stripes.[143][145] She is also one of the few women in the royal family to wear a military uniform.[143] According toThe Guardian, she is "rarely seen without a brooch" at royal events.[145] Her millinery has included jockey caps and hats in multiple colours and bold patterns.[145] She presented the Queen Elizabeth II award for British design atLondon Fashion Week in 2020.[145] Anne has appeared on three BritishVogue covers: the September 1971 issue at age 21, and the May and November 1973 issues marking her engagement to Mark Phillips.[146][147][148] She was featured in the cover story of the May 2020 issue ofVanity Fair.[149] In 2024,Tatler included her among the most glamorous European royals.[150]
Anne is the first member of the royal family to have been convicted of acriminal offence.[151] In November 2002, she pleaded guilty to one charge of having a dog dangerously out of control, an offence under theDangerous Dogs Act 1991, and was fined £500.[152][153]
Quarterly 1st and 4th,Gules three Lions passant guardantOr; 2nd, Or a Lion rampant Gules within a Double-tressure flory counterflory Gules; 3rd, Azure a Harp Or stringed Argent.
Supporters
Dexter, a Lion rampant guardant Or imperially crowned Proper; sinister, a Unicorn Argent, armed, crined and unguled Or, gorged with a Coronet Or composed of Crosses patées and Fleurs-de-lis a Chain affixed thereto passing between the forelegs and reflexed over the back also Or.
The whole differenced by alabel of three points Argent, first and third charged with a St George's Cross the second with a Heart Gules.
Banner
TheRoyal Standard of the United Kingdom labelled for difference as in her arms. (inScotland) (inCanada: since 2013, the Princess Royal has a personalheraldic flag for use in Canada. It is theRoyal Arms of Canada inbanner form defaced with ablueroundel surrounded by a wreath of gold maple leaves, within which is a depiction of an"A" surmounted by a coronet. Above the roundel is awhitelabel of three points, the centre one charged with ared heart and the other two with red crosses.[162][163]) InAustralia: Approval for theRoyal Australian Corps of Signals to carry a banner bearing the cypher of Her Royal Highness The Princess Anne, Colonel-in-Chief of the Corps, was granted on 10 September 1980. The banner was designated the Princess Anne Banner. The Princess Anne Banner was formally presented to the Royal Australian Corps of Signals on 29 November 1986 at Simpson Barracks. The presentation was made on behalf of Her Royal Highness by theGovernor-General of Australia,Sir Ninian Stephen, A.K., G.C.M.G., G.C.V.O., K.B.E.[164]
Symbolism
As with the Royal Arms of the United Kingdom: the first and fourth quarters are the arms ofEngland, the second ofScotland, the third ofIreland.
Ian Cowe,Scottish and Manx Lighthouses: A Photographic Journey in the Footsteps of the Stevensons, Northern Lighthouse Heritage Trust, 2015,ISBN978-0956720917
Robyn Walker,The Women Who Spied for Britain: Female Secret Agents of the Second World War, Amberley Publishing, 2015,ISBN978-1445645841
Trevor Boult,In Fingal's Wake: A Tender Tribute, Amberley Publishing, 2016,ISBN978-1445648064
Polly Williamson,Where did I go?, Cheltenham Printing, 2017,ISBN978-0993179976
Anne Glyn-Jones,Morse Code Wrens of Station X: Bletchley's Outer Circle, Amphora Press, 2017,ISBN978-1845409081
Trevor Boult,To Sea for Science, distributed by Lily Publications, 2021,ISBN978-1838084530
Ian Robertson,Wooden Spoon Rugby World 2021: 25 Years of Rugby Memories, G2 Entertainment Ltd, 2021,ISBN978-1782816065
^abThe official website of the royal family previously described her as a "Lady of the Most Noble Order of the Garter" and a "Royal Lady of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle".[156][157]
^As female-line descendants of royalty, the children have no title despite being the grandchildren of a monarch. (They are not the only children of a British princess without titles; the children ofPrincess Alexandra, the Queen's cousin, are also untitled.)
^"Worship on the Web"(PDF).Church of Scotland.Archived(PDF) from the original on 4 April 2016. Retrieved1 April 2013.
^In 2002, theChurch of England agreed that divorced persons could remarry in church under certain circumstances, but the matter is left to the discretion of the parish priest.
^"Divorce".The Church of England. Archived fromthe original on 5 February 2011. Retrieved14 March 2018.
^"Chancellor". University of London.Archived from the original on 15 March 2018. Retrieved14 March 2018.
^"President and Vice Presidents". BAFTA. 30 April 2013.Archived from the original on 16 March 2018. Retrieved15 March 2018.HRH Princess Anne, The Princess Royal, was named president from 1973, and remained in the post until 2000.
^Howard, Victoria (26 June 2017)."Royal diary: latest engagements 26th June – 1st July". The Crown Chronicles.Archived from the original on 16 March 2018. Retrieved15 March 2018.Princess Anne will attend a Reception at 229 Great Portland Street, as patron of International Students House.
^ab"Knights of the Orders of Chivalry".Debrett's. Archived fromthe original on 17 December 2011. Retrieved5 March 2012.Although HRH The Princess Royal and HRH Princess Alexandra, the Hon. Lady Ogilvy, are both female they are actually included with the Royal Knights Companions and they bear the post-nominal letters KG (not LG)
^"The Princess Anne, Princess Royal".Public Register of Arms, Flags and Badges. Office of the Governor General of Canada: Canadian Heraldic Authority.Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved4 January 2016.
^Paget, Gerald (1977).The Lineage and Ancestry of H.R.H. Prince Charles, Prince of Wales(2 vols). Edinburgh: Charles Skilton.ISBN978-0-284-40016-1.
^Princess Royal, Anne (1991).What is Punishment for and How Does it Relate to the Concept of Community?. Cambridge University Press.ISBN978-0-521-42416-5.
The generations indicate descent fromGeorge I, who formalised the use of the titlesprince andprincess for members of the British royal family. Where a princess may have been or is descended from George I more than once, her most senior descent, by which she bore or bears her title, is used.
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