A majestic match. Princess Anne — the only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip — married Sir Timothy Laurence in December 1992.
When the pair first met in 1986, Anne was still married to her first husband, Mark Phillips, whom she wed in 1973. The two share two children — Peter Phillips, born in 1977, and Zara Tindall, born in 1981.
During the princess’ first marriage, The Sun reported it had obtained stolen love letters exchanged between Anne and Timothy. Although the outlet never printed the supposed notes, their contents were reported to be “too hot to handle.”
That same year, Anne and Mark announced their intention to separate, although the princess royal did not file for divorce until April 1992. That December, Queen Elizabeth’s daughter married Timothy in a small ceremony at Crathie Kirk near Balmoral castle in Scotland.
The University of Durham alum joked that he and his wife’s first husband have something in common in the 2020 ITV documentary Anne: The Princess Royal at 70.
“It’s quite amusing that she married first an army officer and then a naval officer. So, there must be something about the military that attracts her,” he joked.
Timothy, a retired Royal Navy Officer, received no title following the nuptials. However, he was made a personal aide-de-camp to the queen in 2008. Although he has no biological children of his own, the Vice Admiral and Anne share five grandchildren: Peter’s daughters Savannah, born in 2010, and Isla, born in 2012, and Zara’s children Mia, born in 2014, Lena, born in 2018, and Lucas, born in 2021.
None of the princess royal’s children or grandchildren have royal titles, a choice she made in the hopes they could live normal lives.
“I think it was probably easier for them, and I think most people would argue that there are downsides to having titles,” she told Vanity Fair in April 2020. “So, I think that was probably the right thing to do.”
After Queen Elizabeth died at the age of 96 in September 2022, Anne’s husband was at her side for various public appearances honoring the late British monarch, including the procession form the Palace of Holyrood House to St. Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh, Scotland. The princess paid homage to her mother in a statement shared via the royal family’s Instagram account shortly after the monarch’s death.
“I was fortunate to share the last 24 hours of my dearest Mother’s life. It has been an honour and a privilege to accompany her on her final journeys. Witnessing the love and respect shown by so many on these journeys has been both humbling and uplifting,” she wrote. “We will all share unique memories. I offer my thanks to each and every one who share our sense of loss.”
Scroll through for a look back at Anne and Timothy’s relationship over the years:
