At 74 years old, Princess Anne is one of the members of the British Royal Family fundamental to King Charles. He is only two years younger than the monarch and despite his age, his agenda is unstoppable. He is one of the most respected figures in the United Kingdom and carries discretion and service to the Crown as his flag. The only daughter that Elizabeth II and Prince Philip had is in the spotlight because she has just celebrated more than half a century since her first wedding to Captain Mark Phillips, father of her two children Peter and Zara.
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© Getty ImagesThe link was preceded by great expectation. The Princess Royal was Queen Elizabeth’s first daughter down the aisle and hers was the first royal ‘I do’ televised in full color on the BBC. On November 14, 1973, more than 500 million viewers watched Anne of England and Mark Phillips become husband and wife.
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© Getty ImagesThe Princess Royal was Queen Elizabeth’s first daughter to walk down the aisle and hers was the first royal ‘I do’ televised in full color on the BBC.
The couple’s passion for horses made them meet. Ana met Mark, a lieutenant in the 1st Queen’s Dragoon Guards, in 1968 at an equestrian event in Mexico City. The captain proposed five years later with a luxurious diamond and sapphire engagement ring designed by Garrad. The engagement was announced on May 29, 1973 and the wedding was set for six months later.
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© Getty ImagesThe religious ceremony took place at Westminster Abbey in London and the entire city rallied to the couple. It had all the elements of the big Windsor royal weddings with the newlyweds greeting the crowd from the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
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© Getty ImagesPrincess Anne wore a style wedding dress vintage adorned with pearl embroidery. An elegant piece, designed by Maureen Baker, who worked at the Susan Small firm. It had a high neckline, original long sleeves and a large train two meters long. He completed his look with a veil that was attached to Queen Mary’s tiara, while her hair It was combed in a bun, one of her favorite updos.
Princess Anne met her first husband in Mexico City at an equestrian event
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© Getty ImagesAfter the big day, the couple settled in Gatcombe Park. As was customary for untitled men who married women into the British Royal Family, Peter Phillips was offered an earldom which he declined, causing him to his children Peter (born 1977) and Zara (born 1981) did not obtain titles.
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© Getty ImagesThe breakup and the second wedding
Although the Princess believed she had married her soulmate, their marriage union broke up 19 years later. The couple announced their separation in 1989 with a statement from Buckingham Palace saying: “Her Royal Highness, The Princess Royal, and Captain Mark Phillips have decided to separate on terms agreed between them. “There are no plans to initiate divorce proceedings.” The issue of legally breaking the marriage was slow to come because at that time it was considered a taboo subject among royalty. However, on April 13, 1992, it was announced that Anne of England had requested a divorce, which was finalized ten days later. Despite going their separate ways, they continued to share custody of their children and have maintained a cordial relationship ever since.
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© Getty ImagesAnne met her second husband, Timothy Laurence, a Royal Navy commander, while he was serving on the Royal Yacht Britannia. They began dating in 1989, when she was separated from Mark Phillips, but had not yet divorced, and Timothy was an equerry to the Queen. That year, the newspaper The Sun revealed the existence of some private letters between them that would confirm their romance. They married the same year as the divorce in the Crathie Kirk church in Scotland, in a private ceremony attended by only 30 guests. It was very different from the Princess’s first wedding because the Church of England did not allow divorced people to remarry until 2002, which is why it was done in Scotland. Charles III’s sister was the first divorced British royal to remarry since Princess Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg Gotha, granddaughter of Queen Victoria.