Name:Princess Anne

Hometown:London, England

Birthday:August 15, 1950

The second child — and only daughter — of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Princess Anne of Edinburgh was born into British royalty in August 1950.

Anne’s birth was announced with a 21-gun salute in London’s Hyde Park. At the time, she was third in the line of succession for the throne behind her mother and older brother, King Charles III. When Elizabeth became queen in 1952, Anne rose to second in line, but she has since fallen to 16th.

The Princess Royal began to appear at official engagements when she turned 18 after leaving school. Along with her royal duties, Anne is a passionate and highly decorated equestrian. She became the first member of the British royal family to participate in the Olympic Games, riding her mother’s horse during the 1976 eventing competition. More than 10 years later, she joined the International Olympic Committee. Anne has also been a patron of the Riding for the Disabled Association since 1971, taking over as president in 1985.

Anne shared her love for horses with first husband Mark Phillips, whom she met in 1968. The pair got married at Westminster Abbey in November 1973, six months after their engagement was announced. After moving into their Gatcombe Park residence, the twosome welcomed son Peter and daughter Zara in 1977 and 1981, respectively.

After nearly 15 years of marriage, Anne and the Horse & Hound writer announced their separation. Anne filed for divorce in April 1992, finalizing the proceedings after just 10 days.

Before her divorce, the princess crossed paths with naval commander Timothy Laurence while he was serving on the Royal Yacht Britannia. The couple exchanged vows in December 1992, making Anne the first royal divorcée to remarry in decades.

Anne has achieved several firsts in her royal tenure. In November 2002, she pleaded guilty to one charge of having a “dangerously out of control” dog and was fined £500. She is the first royal family member to have been convicted of a criminal offense.

In September 2022, Anne’s older brother, Charles, became king after their mother’s death at age 96. The duo — along with brothers Prince Andrew and Prince Edward — previously lost their father in April 2021.

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