Her Royal Highness was born Princess Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise at Clarence House on 15th August 1950, VJ Day, at 11.50 a.m., reportedly weighing 6 pounds exactly.
A 21-gun salute in Hyde Park signalled the birth of Princess Anne.
Her Royal Highness was baptised in the Music Room of Buckingham Palace on 21st October 1950, by Archbishop of York, Cyril Garbett.
Princess Elizabeth joined the 1st Buckingham Palace Company in 1937 when she was eleven. This group was formed to allow The Princess to be a Girl Guide. There were twenty Guides and fourteen Brownies made up from children of The Royal Household and its employees. 1st Buckingham Palace Company was reformed in 1959 for Princess Anne to join. It remained active until 1963 when The Princess started at Benenden.
In 1963 at the age of 13, Her Royal Highness went to Benenden School in Kent as a boarder.
She was the first Princess to be educated in a ‘regular’ school rather than being educated within Buckingham Palace.
Princess Anne was in the first generation of The Royal Family to take and pass A levels – History and Geography.
Princess Anne’s first public engagement was in 1969 when, aged 18, Her Royal Highness opened an educational and training centre in Shropshire.
Princess Anne is officially the seventh Princess Royal in the British Monarchy, having held the title since June 1987. It is a title historically carried by the Monarch’s oldest daughter and held for life.
Princess Anne was the victim of an attempted kidnap on The Mall in 1974.
Princess Anne’s wedding to Captain Mark Phillips was on the 25th birthday of her older brother, The King, then Prince of Wales. Around 500 million viewers are estimated to have watched the wedding on television.
Princess Anne’s wedding tiara, The Queen Mary Fringe tiara, was also worn by her mother, then Princess Elizabeth, on her wedding day, and more recently by Princess Beatrice at her wedding.
The Princess Royal has two children – Peter Mark Andrew Phillips born on 15th November 1977 and Zara Anna Elizabeth Tindall (née Phillips) born on 15th May 1981.
Her Royal Highness also has two stepchildren from her second marriage to Sir Timothy Laurence, Tom and Amy Laurence.
The Princess Royal has five grandchildren: Savannah Phillips born in December 2010, Isla Phillips born in March 2012, Mia Tindall born in January 2014, Lena Tindall born in June 2018 and Lucas Tindall born in March 2021.
Charities
Her Royal Highness is involved with over 399 charities, organisations and military regiments in the UK and overseas.
Her Royal Highness became President of Save the Children UK in 1970, and it was the first major charity with which she became closely associated. The Princess has since become Patron in 2016, having taken over the Patronage from Queen Elizabeth II.
The Princess Royal was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in 1990 by President Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia. She was nominated for her work as president of charity Save the Children across two decades.
Her Royal Highness was President of The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (Bafta) from 1972 to 2000. The main cinema theatre at BAFTA’s headquarters, 195 Piccadilly, was renamed The Princess Anne Theatre in her honour.
The Princess Royal, President, World Horse Welfare, adopted Annie the horse in 2013, after visiting one of the charity’s farms.
The Princess Royal is Chancellor of five universities: Harper Adams University, The University of Edinburgh, The University of London, The University of the Highlands and Islands and the The Health Sciences University.
Following the retirement of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother in 1981 as Chancellor of the University of London, Princess Anne was elected as Chancellor by the graduates of the university.
In 2011 The Princess Royal became Chancellor of the University of Edinburgh, taking on the role from her father, The late Duke of Edinburgh in 2011.
Her Royal Highness has been Commandant-in-Chief (Youth) of St John Ambulance since November 1970.
Official Duties & Overseas
The Princess Royal has completed 562 overseas visits across 421 tours.
Princess Anne’s first overseas visit, to Malta from 22nd – 28th of April 1954, was when she was only four years old. The Princess and The King, then Prince Charles, sailed on the Royal Yacht BRITANNIA to meet The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh on their Commonwealth Tour.
During the 1954 journey to Malta, Royal Yacht BRITANNIA sailed to Tobruk, Libya as part of the Commonwealth Tour. This was the first time Princess Anne visited the African continent.
The Princess Royal has visited every continent.
Her Royal Highness first visited North America in 1966 on an official visit to Jamaica for the Commonwealth Games.
Princess Anne first visited Oceania in 1970 on an official visit to Tonga, Fiji, and New Zealand. This 1970 visit also included Her Royal Highness’s first visit to Australia.
In 1971, Princess Anne visited Iran, her first official visit to Asia, accompanying His Royal Highness The late Duke of Edinburgh.
Her Royal Highness has undertaken 52 official visits to Germany.
Her Royal Highness became the first member of the Royal Family to make an official visit to the then USSR in 1990, as a guest of the Soviet government.
As Patron of the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust, The Princess Royal visited Antarctica in 2002 for the first time, to commemorate the centenary of the Establishment of Scott’s Base. Her Royal Highness visited again in 2007.
In May 2025, The Princess Royal become the first Member of the Royal Family to visit Little Sark. Her Royal Highness visited on behalf of His Majesty The King, to mark the 80th Anniversary of the Liberation of the Bailiwick.
The Princess Royal is one of the three Members of the Royal Family who carries out Investitures, along with The King and The Prince of Wales.
The Princess Royal served as Lord High Commissioner of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, on behalf of The late Queen Elizabeth II in May 1996 and 2017.
Military and Titles
Her Royal Highness is Colonel-in-Chief of more than 20 British and Commonwealth regiments.
The Princess Royal was appointed Chief Commandant of the Women’s Royal Naval Service in 1974. Then, in 1993, when the Women’s Royal Naval Service was merged into the Royal Navy, her title was updated to Chief Commandant of Women in the Royal Navy. In 2012, she was given the rank of Admiral.
The Princess Royal is Colonel of a number of Canadian Regiments: The Grey and Simocoe Forresters, Canadian Communications and Electronic Branch, 8th Canadian Hussars (Princess Louise’s), Royal Canadian Hussars, The Royal Canadian Medical Service, The Royal Regina Rifles and The Royal Newfoundland Regiment. Her Royal Highness is also Commodore-in-Chief Canadian Pacific Fleet.
The Princess Royal has a personal heraldic flag for use when in Canada. It is The Royal Arms of Canada, in banner form defaced with a blue roundel, surrounded by a wreath of gold maple leaves, within which is a depiction of an “A” surmounted by a coronet. Above the roundel is a white label of three points, the centre one charged with a red heart and the other two with red crosses.
In New Zealand, Princess Anne is Colonel in Chief of The Royal New Zealand Corps of Signals and The Royal New Zealand Army Nursing Corps.
In Australia, The Princess Royal is Colonel-in-Chief of The Royal Australian Corps of Signals and The Royal Australian Corps of Transport.
In 2007, The Princess Royal was appointed by Queen Elizabeth II as Grand Master of The Royal Victorian Order, a position also held by The late Queen’s mother, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother.
The Princess Royal’s Coat of Arms is below:
In 1994, The Queen appointed The Princess Royal to the Order of the Garter. However, The Princess Royal requested to be installed as Royal Knight of the Order, and not a Lady.
The Princess Royal has always had strong connections to the City of London Livery Companies. She has held the highest office in a number: • Prime Warden, The Worshipful Company of Fishmongers (2017-2018); • Perpetual Master, The Worshipful Company of Saddlers (Since 2014) • Master, The Worshipful Company of Butchers (2010-2011); • Master, The Guild of Freemen of the City of London (2008-2009) • Master, The Honourable Company of Master Mariners (2005-2007); • Master, The Worshipful Company of Farmers (2001-2002); • Master, The Worshipful Company of Saddlers (1994); • Master, The Worshipful Company of Woolmen (1994); • Master, The Worshipful Company of Loriners (1992); • Master, The Worshipful Company of Carmen (1986) • Master, The Worshipful Company of Farriers (1984-1985)
The Princess Royal is Colonel-in-Chief of 4 cavalry regiments; two British [The Royal Horse Guards/Dragoons and The King’s Royal Hussars] and two Canadian [The Royal Canadian Hussars and 8th Canadian Hussars.]
Her Royal Highness is President of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Commonwealth Study Conferences and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Commonwealth Study Conference Association, having taken over the patronage from her father in 2011.
In June 2020, The Princess Royal, as Colonel-in-Chief of The Royal Logistic Corps, made a visit to the Duke of Gloucester Barracks in Gloucestershire to meet soldiers supporting of COVID-19 military operations.
The Princess Royal’s English Standard is The Royal Standard differenced by a three-point label charged with one red heart and two crosses of St George.
The Princess Royal’s Scottish Standard uses the Scottish version of The Royal Arms.
For her 75th Birthday, a UK coin has been made in her honour. This is the first time The Princess Royal has featured on a UK commemorative coin. The coin features her official Coat of Arms and an official portrait taken by John Swannell.
Sport & Interests
Princess Anne was the first member of The British Royal Family to compete in an Olympic Games, when she competed at the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games as a member of the British Equestrian team.
In 1971, 21-year-old Princess Anne won individual gold at the European Eventing Championships with her thoroughbred Doublet, which was gifted to her by her mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
In 1975 Her Royal Highness won Silver in both team and individual disciplines at the European Eventing Championship.
Princess Anne won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award in 1971.
The Princess Royal’s daughter, Zara Tindall, competed in the British Equestrian team at the Olympic Games in London 2012, where she won silver in the Team Eventing, becoming the first member of The British Royal Family to medal in the Olympics.
Between 1986 and 1994, The Princess Royal served as President of the Fédération Équestre Internationale (FEI), the international governing body of equestrian sports.
The Princess Royal’s love of horses is well known; over the years she has been presented with many equestrian themed gifts. These include hoofpicks, a riding crop, horseshoes, horse blankets, a riding jacket, ornamental horses, a model of a jump fence, riding gloves, a riding hat, a miniature rocking horse and commemorative working horse stamps.
The Princess Royal has her own racing colours.
On 5th February 1987, Princess Anne became the first member of The Royal Family to appear as a contestant on a television quiz-show when she competed on the BBC panel game, A Question of Sport.
Her Royal Highness has been Patron of Scottish Rugby Union since June 1986, and regularly attends home and away matches, and visits team training sessions.
In 2023, The Princess appeared on podcast, ‘The Good, The Bad & The Rugby’ alongside The Prince of Wales, Patron of the Welsh Rugby Union, and The Princess of Wales, Patron of the English Rugby Football Union.
Her Royal Highness has been to 18 Olympic Games, including 10 Winter Olympics.
As President of the British Olympic Association and senior UK member of the International Olympic Committee, The Princess Royal led the British delegation at the IOC meeting in Singapore in 2007, which resulted in the award of the Games to London in 2012.
Her Royal Highness was also Director of the London Organising Committee for these Games and received the Olympic Flame in Greece for the handover to London in 2012.
Her Royal Highness received a framed piece of the London 2012 Olympic athletics track and a poem inspired by the redevelopment of East London following the Olympics written by the Young Poet Laureate for London, Aisling Fahey.
The Princess Royal was the first female member of The Royal Yacht Squadron, the Yacht Club in Cowes, Isle of Wight (and is now Admiral).
The Princess Royal enjoys sailing and has received many nautical gifts over the years, including a painting of Tiumpan Head Lighthouse, a remote-control yacht, a model of Bell Rock Lighthouse, a silver model of a traditional Bangladeshi fishing boat, a model of an XOD Yacht, a Royal Yachting Association Yachtmaster Handbook and a glass model of HMS VICTORY.
In 2015, The Princess Royal became one of the first female honorary members of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrew’s.
In 1971, at the invitation of Sir Jackie Stewart, Princess Anne drove a sports car around the F1 racing track at Silverstone.
The Princess Royal is the first Member of the Royal Family to have an HGV licence. Her Royal Highness has also driven a double-decker London bus and a police car.
In 2004, The Princess Royal was given a voucher for a year’s supply of Mackie’s ice cream.
The Princess Royal is often seen sporting Team GB sunglasses, including at high-profile events such as from the London 2012 Olympics to Royal Ascot in 2021.
