Royal Profile: The Princess Anne, The Princess Royal

The Princess Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise, The Princess Royal was born 15 August 1950, the second child and only daughter of The Duke of Edinburgh and Queen Elizabeth II {Source}. She has three brothers, one older and two younger{Source}:

• The Prince Charles of Wales
• The Prince Andrew, Duke of York
• The Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex

In October 1950 at two months old, she was baptized Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise Mountbatten-Windsor {Source}, with the following as godparents:

1. The Queen--later Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother (her maternal grandmother) (where Elizabeth likely comes from)
2. The Hereditary Princess of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (her paternal aunt) (Princess Margarita)
3. Princess Alice of Greece and Denmark (her paternal grandmother) (where Alice comes from likely)
4. The Earl Mountbatten of Burma (her paternal granduncle) (Louis)
5. The Hon. and Rev. Andrew Elphinstone (her mother's cousin, her 1st cousin once removed)

She was named:

• Anne: likely a name her parents liked
• Elizabeth: For her maternal grandmother (and godmother) and mother
• Alice: For her paternal grandmother
• Louise: for her great-great-great aunt, the granddaughter of Queen Victoria

Her schooling began in a small class with her brother at Buckingham Palace, shortly after her mother succeeded the throne{Source}. At the age of 12, she spent time privately being educated in France {Source}, before she attended Benenden School, Kent {Source}.

She was engaged with Lieutenant (later Captain) Mark Phillips of The Queen's Dragoon Guards was on 29 May 1973, and they were married in Westminster Abbey on 14 November 1973 {Source}. They were divorced in 1992{Source}. She remarried in December 1992 to Commander Timothy Laurence, Royal Navy (now Vice Admiral Laurence), at a private ceremony at Crathie Church, near Balmoral Castle in Scotland {Source}.

The Princess Anne has two children, two children in law, two granddaughters and a grandchild due in 2014, all related to her first marriage {Source}:

• Peter Mark Andrew Philips
• Autumn Patricia Kelly Philips
• Savannah Anne Kathleen Philips
• Isla Elizabeth Philips
• Zara Anne Elizabeth Philips
• Mike Tindall
• Baby due sometime in the 1st half of 2014

Four months after her first marriage, there was an unsuccessful abduction attempt made for her  {Source}. She and her husband had been headed back to Buckingham Palace after attending a charity event when the event took place  {Source}. Her Royal Protection Officers sprung into action, and one was shot and wounded trying to prevent the abduction  {Source}, for his heroic efforts, he was awarded the George Cross  {Source}.

Traditionally, the eldest daughter of the monarch is awarded the title The Princess Royal, as the eldest son is The Prince of Wales, but there may be only one holder of the title The Princess Royal at a time. At the time of her mother's succession, The Princess Anne's great-aunt The Princess Mary, Princess Royal ,Countess of Harewood, was holding the title, but The Princess Mary died in 1965. Twenty-two years after the death of her great-aunt, her mother decided that The Princess Anne deserved the title, she was awarded the title in June 1987  {Source}. From June 1987 to 1992, she has been known as HRH The Princess Anne, Princess Royal, Mrs Mark Phillips. Today, she is known as HRH The Princess Anne, Princess Royal, Mrs. Timothy Laurence. Prior to her marriages and receiving the title Princess Royal, she had been known as Princess Anne of Edinburgh (before her mother's succession) and The Princess Anne (after the succession). She is the 7th holder of the title since the title was begun by her distant relative, Charles I for his daughter Princess Mary.

At the age of 18, she began to take on solo engagements, maintaining a very busy working schedule since {Source}. She first flew her personal standard in 1969, when she opened an educational and training centre in Shropshire{Source}. Her first offiicial state visit took place in May 1969, when she accompanied her parents on a visit to Austria {Source}. She maintains a very busy schedule of meetings, patronage visits and other public appearances. She is president of several organizations, some of her most notable duties are{Source}:

• The Save the Children Fund (President, 1970)
• The Princess Royal's Trust for Carers, Transaid and Riders for Health
• Transaid
• Riders Health
• The International Olympic Committee

She began riding horses at a young age, and like her mother, it became a great passion for her {Source}. She was a regular participant at in the Horse of the Year Show at Wembley and the Badminton Horse Trials{Source}. In 1971, she won the individual 3-day event at Burghley, and was nominated Sportswoman of the Year by the Sports Writers' Association, the Daily Express newspaper and World Sport (the journal of the British Olympic Association){Source}. She was also voted the BBC's Sports Personality of 1971{Source}. In 1973, she won silver during the same contest in Germany, and  was a member of the British team in the European Three-Day Event Championships in Kiev, Urkraine (then part of the USSR){Source}. In 1976, she participated in the Olympic Games, which led to her being president of the British Olympic Association for five years from 1983-1988 {Source}. In 1986, she was selected to succeed her father as president of the International Equestrian Federation (IEF), a poist which she has since relinquished{Source}. In 1988, she became one of two British members of the International Olympic Comittee{Source}. In addition to being involved with the sport, she is involved with numerous charities which provide veterinarian care, help for disabled riders (most notable is her president of Riding for the Disabled since 1969) {Source}. She wrote a book about her equestrian career and love of horses titles Riding Through My Life. Presently, the title is out of print, but you might be able to obtain a used copy via amazon.com.