Anne, Princess Royal

Significance: A member of the British royal family, Anne is involved in more than three hundred charities and organizations. Among them is Save the Children, which she has been president of since 1970. A former competitive equestrian, she was the first member of the royal family to compete in the Olympics.

Background

Anne, Princess Royal was given the name Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise and the title of princess upon her August 15, 1950, birth in Clarence House in London, England. The second child of Princess Elizabeth (who became Queen two years after Anne’s birth) and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, she grew up in Clarence House and then Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle. She was cared for by nannies, as her parents often traveled and were busy with royal duties.

Princess Anne received her early education at home before becoming a boarder at Benenden School in Kent in 1963. Keenly interested in horses since she was young, she took lessons in horsemanship while at Benenden. In her late teens, she began hunting to prepare for competitive equestrian events.

On June 13, 1987, Queen Elizabeth II gave Anne the title of Princess Royal. It is a title traditionally given to the eldest daughter of the monarch. In 2007, the Queen bestowed on Princess Anne the title of Grand Master of the Royal Victorian Order. Anne holds numerous ceremonial titles, including Chief Commandant of Women in the Royal Navy, Colonel-in-Chief of the King’s Royal Hussars, and Royal Honorary Colonel of the University of London OTC.

Royal Career

Princess Anne began her royal career of public service and representing the Queen at events around the world when she was eighteen. In 1969, she opened an educational and training center in Shropshire. Later that year, she participated in her first state visit. In 1970, Princess Anne became president of Save the Children UK, a global charity that gives children resources to foster their development. For more than five decades, she has remained heavily involved in the charity’s work and has traveled to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Cambodia, China, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, and other countries to understand the needs of children in these countries.

In 1971, Princess Anne became a patron of Riding for the Disabled, a charity that provides carriage driving and riding, therapy, and other opportunities to children and adults with disabilities. She has been the president of the organization since 1985.

While Save the Children UK and Riding for the Disabled are the two major charities she is most known for, Anne is involved with more than three hundred other charities, military regiments, and organizations. She has founded several charities, including Riders for Health and Transaid, which address transportation challenges in developing countries, and Carers Trust. She is also a patron of World Horse Welfare, the Horse Trust, and several other horse-related organizations, as well as Hearing Dogs for the Deaf and Wetwheels Foundation.

In 2022, Princess Anne was named the hardest-working royal, attending 214 royal engagements, compared to the Prince of Wales, who attended 126, and the Princess of Wales, who attended 90. These visits included her tour of Australia and Papua New Guinea, which celebrated the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. Her father, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, died on April 9, 2021. Following her mother's death in 2022, she became the first woman to participate in a traditional practice known as the Vigil of the Princes, in which she stood guard over the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II. In January 2026, Princess Anne issued a public statement as President of the Carers Trust, recognizing the challenges faced by unpaid caregivers across the United Kingdom. She highlighted that the charity had supported more than 1.1 million carers in 2025 and emphasized the importance of providing financial, educational, and emotional assistance to caregivers of all ages.

Competitive Horsemanship

Princess Anne pursued her passion for horses by competing in equestrian events and participating in charity work that involves horses. Unlike other competitors, she was unable to train exclusively for competitions and had to intersperse her training with her royal duties. She participated in several three-day event competitions, winning the gold medal in the individual event at the 1971 European Three-Day-Event Championships. Later that year, she was elected the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year. She won silver medals in the individual and team events at the 1975 European Three-Day-Event Championships. In 1976, she became the first royal member to compete in the Olympics when she participated as a member of the British Equestrian Team. She rode her mother’s horse, Goodwill, in the equestrian three-day event.

Although she stopped competing, Princess Anne remained heavily involved in equestrian sporting events. From 1986 to 1994, she was the president of the Fédération Équestre Internationale. She has been a member of the International Olympic Committee since 1988, and as of 2024, she continued to serve as the president of the British Olympic Association, which began in 1991.

Impact

Although the Succession to the Crown Act of 2013 replaced a 1701 act that gave males priority over females, it does not apply to anyone born before 2011. Thus, Princess Anne follows her brother, King Charles III, and his children and grandchildren, placing her at least seventeenth in line.

Once regarded by the public as standoffish and remote, Princess Anne has become a highly respected royal known for conducting a heavy workload. In the late 2010s, she was recognized as the hardest-working royal for attending more official appearances than any other royal, a title she maintained into 2023 when she appeared at 457 royal engagements, averaging 8 per week. She was forced to take a break after suffering a concussion at her Gatcombe Park home in Gloucestershire on June 23, 2024. Princess Anne, who was unable to recall how she was injured while out walking, was initially treated at home but was admitted to Southmead Hospital in Bristol, England, the next day. Doctors who treated her said her injuries were consistent with a possible impact from a horse's head or leg. The Princess Royal recovered at home and returned to her official duties two weeks later.

Personal Life

Princess Anne and Mark Anthony Phillips married at Westminster Abbey on November 14, 1973. They had two children, Peter and Zara. The couple separated in 1989 and divorced in April 1992. Princess Anne and Timothy James Laurence, a Royal Navy officer, married on December 12, 1992. They live at Gatcombe Park, given to Princess Anne by Queen Elizabeth II as a wedding present for her first marriage. It is a working farm where Princess Anne breeds horses and raises long-horned cattle, pigs, and sheep.

Bibliography

Harcombe, Chloe, and Hollie Cole. "Princess Anne returns to public duties after head injury." BBC, 12 July 2024, www.bbc.com/news/articles/c80e1kr34glo. Accessed 1 June 2026.

Henni, Janine. "This Year's Hardest Working Royal Comes as No Surprise — See Who Took the Crown." People, 12 Dec. 2023, people.com/princess-anne-named-hardest-working-royal-2023-8415038. Accessed 1 June 2026.

King, Rachel. “Princess Anne Issues a Rare Public Message to Start 2026.” Town & Country, 14 Jan. 2026, www.townandcountrymag.com/society/tradition/a69998691/princess-anne-carers-trust-statement-2026/. Accessed 1 June 2026.

Murphy, Victoria. “How Did Princess Anne Become a Royal Fan Favourite—Behind the Scenes of the Princess Royal.” Independent, 1 Mar. 2021, www.independent.co.uk/life-style/royal-family/princess-anne-royal-family-the-crown-b1804069.html. Accessed 1 June 2026.

Nicholl, Katie. “Princess Anne Opens Up About Her Lifetime as a Royal.” Vanity Fair, 15 Apr. 2020, www.vanityfair.com/style/2020/04/princess-anne-opens-up-about-her-lifetime-as-a-royal. Accessed 1 June 2026.

“The Princess Royal.” The Royal Family, United Kingdom, www.royal.uk/the-princess-royal. Accessed 1 June 2026.

Rieden, Juliet. “Royal Exclusive: ‘I’ve Never Been a City Girl’—Princess Anne Talks About Life Away from the Royal Beat.” The Australian Women’s Weekly, 15 July 2020, www.nowtolove.com.au/royals/british-royal-family/princess-anne-70th-birthday-64581. Accessed 1 June 2026.

Tominey, Camilla. “How Princess Anne Became the Shining Light of the Beleaguered Monarchy.” Daily Telegraph, 31 July 2020, www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2020/07/31/princess-anne-became-shining-light-beleaguered-monarchy/. Accessed 1 June 2026.