Royal Profile: 65 Facts about The Princess Anne, The Princess Royal

  1. 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}. 
  2. She has three brothers, one older and two younger{Source}:
    1. The Prince Charles of Wales
    2. The Prince Andrew, The Duke of York
    3. The Prince Edward, The Earl of Wessex
  3. Currently, she has two sisters-in-law:
    1. Camilla, The Duchess of Cornwall
    2. Sophie, The Countess of Wessex
  4. She is an aunt to the following:
    1. Prince William, The Duke of Cambridge
    2. Prince Harry of Wales (1984)
    3. Princess Beatrice of York (1988)
    4. Princess Eugenie of York (1990)
    5. The Lady Louise Alice Elizabeth Mary Mountbatten-Windsor (2003)
    6. James Arthur Philip Theo Mountbatten-Windsor (2007)
  5. She is aunt-in-law to:
    1. Catherine, The Duchess of Cambridge
  6. Through her brother The Prince of Wales, she is step-aunt to:
    1. Mr. Thomas Parker-Bowels (1974)
    2. Mrs. Laura (Parker-Bowels) Lopes (1978)
  7. Through her brother The Prince of Wales, she is step-aunt-in-law to:
    1. Mrs. Sara (Buys) Parker-Bowels
    2. Mr. Harry Lopes
  8. Through her brother The Prince of Wales, she is step-great-aunt to:
    1. Miss Lola Parker-Bowels (2007)
    2. Miss Eliza Lopes (2008)
    3. Master Gus Lopes (2009)
    4. Master Louis Lopes (2009)
    5. Master Freddy Parker-Bowels (2010)
  9. She is also a great-aunt to the following:
    1. Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge (2013)
    2. Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana of Cambridge (2015)
  10. In October 1950 at two months old, she was baptized Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise Mountbatten-Windsor {Source}
  11. 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)
  12. She was named:
    1. Anne: likely a name her parents liked
    2. Elizabeth: For her maternal grandmother (and godmother) and mother
    3. Alice: For her paternal grandmother
    4. Louise: for her great-great-great aunt, the granddaughter of Queen Victoria
  13. Her schooling began in a small class with her brother at Buckingham Palace, shortly after her mother succeeded the throne{Source}. 
  14. At the age of 12, she spent time privately being educated in France {Source}, before she attended Benenden School, Kent {Source}.
  15. She was engaged with Lieutenant (later Captain) Mark Phillips of The Queen's Dragoon Guards was on 29 May 1973 {Source}.
  16. they were married in Westminster Abbey on 14 November 1973 {Source}. They were divorced in 1992{Source}. She remarried in December 1992 toCommander Timothy Laurence, Royal Navy (now Vice Admiral Laurence), at a private ceremony at Crathie Church, near Balmoral Castle in Scotland {Source}.
  17. The Princess Anne has two children  {Source}:
    1. Peter Mark Andrew Phillips (1977)
    2. Zara Anne Elizabeth Phillips Tindall 
  18. She is mother in law to the following:
    1. Autumn Patricia Kelly Philips 
    2. Michael James Tindall (1978)
  19. She is grandmother to three little girls:
    1. Savannah Anne Kathleen Phillips (2010)
    2. Isla Elizabeth Phillips 
    3. Mia Grace Tindall 
  20. Her godchildren are:
    1. Philip, Hereditary Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (1970)
    2. Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, (1973)
    3. Miss Alice McVitti e(1976)
    4. Prince Peter of Yugoslavia (1970)
    5. Miss Lucy Margot Therese Cameron (1980)
    6. The Lady Eloise Anne Elizabeth Anson (1981)
    7. Miss Kelly Louise Doreen Knatchbull (1988)
  21. Four months after her first marriage, there was an unsuccessful abduction attempt made for her {Source}. 
  22. She and her husband had been headed back to Buckingham Palace after attending a charity event when the event took place {Source}.
  23. 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}.
  24. 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.
  25. 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}. 
  26. From June 1987 to 1992, she has been known as HRH The Princess Anne, Princess Royal, Mrs Mark Phillips. 
  27. Today, she is known as HRH The Princess Anne, Princess Royal, Mrs. Timothy Laurence. 
  28. 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.
  29. At the age of 18, she began to take on solo engagements, maintaining a very busy working schedule since {Source}.
  30. She first flew her personal standard in 1969, when she opened an educational and training centre in Shropshire{Source}. 
  31. Her first official state visit took place in May 1969, when she accompanied her parents on a visit to Austria {Source}. 
  32. 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}:
    1. The Save the Children Fund (President, 1970)
    2. The Princess Royal's Trust for Carers, Transaid and Riders for Health
    3. Transaid
    4. Riders Health
    5. The International Olympic Committee
  33. She began riding horses at a young age, and like her mother, it became a great passion for her {Source}. 
  34. She was a regular participant at in the Horse of the Year Show at Wembley and the Badminton Horse Trials{Source}.
  35. 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}. 
  36. She was also voted the BBC's Sports Personality of 1971{Source}. 
  37. 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}.
  38. 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}.
  39. In 1986, she was selected to succeed her father as president of the International Equestrian Federation (IEF), a post which she has since relinquished{Source}.
  40. In 1988, she became one of two British members of the International Olympic Comittee{Source}. 
  41. 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}. 
  42. 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.
  43. The Princess Anne, The Princess Royal speaks {Source}:
    1. English
    2. French
    3. Latin (likely studied it in school)
  44. Over the years she has had many official titles. 
  45. Her first title was Princess Anne of Edinburgh, as she was entited by the 1917 patent to the title Princess as a granddaughter of the monarch, and entitled to "of Edinburgh" as that was her father's dukedom. (other examples: Princess Beatrice & Princess Eugenie are nieces of the paternal monarch line, thus are titled Princess of York).
  46. Her second title came in 1952 when her mother became monarch, that title was The Princess Anne. 
  47.  When she married her first husband, Capt. Mark Philips, her title changed slightly to Her Royal Highness The Princess Anne, Mrs Mark Phillips.
  48. When she married Tim Laurence, her offiical title became Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal. Lady Laurence.
  49. Her full official title today is Her Royal Highness The Princess Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise, Princess Royal, Royal Lady of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, Extra Lady of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle, Dame Grand Cross and Grand Master of the Royal Victorian Order, Dame Grand Cross of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem.
  50. Her mother granted her the title The Princess Royal in 1987, almost 20 years after her great aunt, the last Princess Royal, died.
  51. Her mother rewarded her with the honor due to all of the extensive work Princess Anne had done 
  52. Anne is the seventh creation of the title Princess Royal, an appellation given only to the eldest daughter of the sovereign, the last holder being George V's daughter, Princess Mary, Countess of Harewood.
  53. In 1996, Anne was entitled to be called Her Grace The Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.
  54. She holds honors from the following countries:
    1. The United Kingdom
    2. Austria
    3. Finland
    4. Japan
    5. Iran
    6. The Netherlands
    7. Luxembourg
    8. Yugoslavia
  55. Since 1986, she has been a Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (FRCVS)
  56. In 1987, she was appointed a Royal Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS).
  57. In 2011, she was appointed  President of the Royal Society of Arts (RSA).
  58. In 2012, she became a Royal Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences (FMedSci).
  59. She is an Academic Chancellor of the following Universities:
    1. University of London (1981-Present)
    2. University of Edinburgh (2011-Present)
    3.  University of the Highlands and Islands (2012-Present)
    4.  Harper Adams University (2013-Present)
  60. Although she never attended University herself, she holds several honorary degrees from several universities, including:
    1. Doctor of Laws from University of Regina, Saskatchewan (2004) {Source}.
    2. Doctor of Laws from Memorial University of Newfoundland (2010) {Source}
    3. Doctor of Science from Cranfield University (2011)
  61. She also hold numerous honorary military appointments:
    1. Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Australian Corps of Signals
    2. Colonel-in-Chief of the Grey and Simcoe Foresters (1977-Present)
    3. Colonel-in-Chief of the8th Canadian Hussars (Princess Louise's)
    4. Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Canadian Hussars (November 2014-Present)
    5. Colonel-in-Chief of the Communications and Electronics Branch
    6. Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Canadian Medical Service
    7. Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Regina Rifles {Source}
    8. Colonel-in-Chief ofRoyal Newfoundland Regiment
    9. Commodore-in-Chief of the Royal Canadian Navy (Fleet Pacific) (2015-Present) {Source}
    10. Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal New Zealand Corps of Signals
    11. Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal New Zealand Army Nursing Corps
    12. Colonel-in-Chief of the King's Royal Hussars
    13. Colonel-in-Chief of the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment (29/45 Foot)
    14. Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Corps of Signals
    15.  Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Logistic Corps
    16.  Colonel-in-Chief the Royal Army Veterinary Corps
    17.  Colonel of the Blues and Royals
    18.  Royal Colonel of the Royal Scots Borderers, 1st Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland
    19.  Royal Colonel of the 52nd Lowland Regiment, 6th Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland
    20.  Royal Honorary Colonel of the University of London OTC
    21.  Commandant-in-Chief of the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (Princess Royal's Volunteer Corps)
    22.  Honorary Air Commodore of RAF Lyneham
    23.  Honorary Air Commodore of the University of London Air Squadron
    24. Admiral and Chief Commandant for Women in the Royal Navy {Source}
    25. Commodore-in-Chief of HMNB Portsmouth
  62. In February 2015 the Princess Royal became one of the first female honorary members of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews {Source}.
  63. During her marriages, she was daughter-in-law to:
    1. Peter William Garside Phillips s (1920–1998) 
    2. Anne Patricia Phillips (1926-1988) 
  64. She was/is sister in law to:
    1. Sarah Anne Phillips (1951-2014, Anne was married to her brother Mark)
    2. Johnathan Dobree Lawrence (1952, from her second marriage)
  65. Presently, she is daughter-in-law to{Source}:
    1. Commander Guy Stewart Laurence 
    2. Barbara Alison Laurence

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