While their love story has a sense of mystery surrounding it, there is no doubting Princess Anne and Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Lawrence’s love as they celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary.
Princess Anne’s first husband was Mark Phillips, who were married in 1973 and didn’t officially divorce until 1992, roughly three years after announcing their separation.
On December 12, 1992, Princess Anne and Tim married at Crathie Parish Church which is a Presbyterian church as England did not allow marriage rites for divorced individuals, in Ballater near Balmoral.
The pair were married in 1992.
(Image: Getty)Despite the typically glamorous royal weddings, their celebration was low-key as Anne donned a satin midi skirt-suit and a floral accessory in her beehive hairdo while Tim wore his naval uniform.
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Princess Anne’s children from her first marriage, Peter Philips and Zara Tindall attended the ceremony along with Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, Princess Margaret, Prince Edward and the Queen Mother.
It’s believed the pair met in 1986.
(Image: Getty)HOW IT ALL BEGAN
Although it is unclear when the couple first met, but they met sometime in 1986 after Tim, a naval officer, entered the royal world when he was appointed equerry – an official assistant to the royal family.
In 1988, Tim was made a trustee on The Princess Anne’s Charities trust in which a source told People that “the appointment just shows Anne’s affection for him.”
A number of personal letters between the pair were leaked roughly a year later to The Sun. A source informed the Sunday Mirror the letters were of “an extremely personal and intimate nature.”
Meanwhile, another source contradicted that statement and told People: “It’s quite clear that he is potty about her, but they are very boring and ramble on. They are the sort of letters 18- or 19-year-olds write to one another, thoughts about life and rather philosophical.”
After the letters were leaked, Buckingham Palace released a statement which read:
“The stolen letters were addressed to the Princess Royal by Commander Timothy Laurence, the Queen’s Equerry. We have nothing to say about the contents of personal letters sent to Her Royal Highness by a friend which were stolen and which are the subject of a police investigation.”
Tim accompanied Anne during the Queen’s funeral events.
(Image: Getty)The pair never had children of their own. However, Tim was still welcomed into the royal family including during the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in early 2022 after being allowed to remain on the Buckingham Palace balcony despite it being only for working royals.
When the Queen passed, Tim accompanied Anne as they travelled with Her Majesty’s coffin from Scotland to London.
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