When people ask who was Princess Anne married to, they usually expect a short answer. Maybe a single name. But the Princess Royal has never been one for simplicity. Her romantic life, much like her equestrian career, has been defined by grit, a bit of scandal, and a very "no-nonsense" British attitude that refuses to pander to public expectations.
She's been married twice. First to Captain Mark Phillips. Then to Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence.
It sounds straightforward on paper, doesn't it? It wasn't. To understand these relationships, you have to look at the era Anne grew up in. She was the first of her siblings to marry, and also the first to get a divorce. In the 1970s and 80s, that was a massive deal for the House of Windsor. She essentially paved the way for King Charles and Prince Andrew to navigate their own messy splits later on. Honestly, she took the heat so they didn't have to.
The Olympic Romance: Captain Mark Phillips
The world stopped for a moment in November 1973. Anne was 23. She was marrying Captain Mark Phillips at Westminster Abbey. This wasn't just another royal wedding. It was a televised event that pulled in an estimated 500 million viewers globally.
Why was it such a big deal?
Mark Phillips was a "commoner." Well, as common as a Captain in the Queen’s Dragoon Guards can be. He didn't have a title. In fact, he famously turned down an earldom offered by the Queen on his wedding day. He wanted his children to grow up without the "HRH" baggage. It was a radical move for the time.
They met through horses. Obviously.
Anne is an Olympian. Mark won gold in the 1972 Munich Olympics. They were the ultimate "it" couple of the equestrian world. But the marriage was reportedly rocky almost from the start. By the 1980s, the press was having a field day. People started noticing they were rarely in the same room, let alone the same country.
The Breaking Point and the Secret Daughter
The marriage didn't just fade away; it fractured under the weight of some pretty heavy rumors. By 1989, they announced their separation. But the real kicker—the thing that really cemented the end—was the revelation that Mark Phillips had fathered a child outside of the marriage.
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In 1985, a daughter named Felicity was born to an art teacher in New Zealand named Heather Tonkin. DNA tests later confirmed Phillips was the father.
You can imagine how that went down at Buckingham Palace.
Anne and Mark officially divorced in April 1992. It was a "Year of Horrors" for the Queen (the famous Annus Horribilis), and Anne was the first domino to fall. Despite the drama, they’ve managed to stay somewhat cordial for the sake of their kids, Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall. You’ll still see them both at horse trials, usually standing several yards apart, looking intently at a fence.
Finding Stability: Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence
If you're wondering who was Princess Anne married to after the dust settled with Mark, the answer is Timothy Laurence.
The transition was fast. Like, really fast.
They got married in December 1992, just months after her divorce was finalized. Because the Church of England didn't allow remarriage after divorce at the time, they had to hop across the border to Scotland. They wed at Crathie Kirk, near Balmoral. It was small. Private. The complete opposite of the Westminster Abbey spectacle.
Tim Laurence wasn't a fellow rider. He was a naval officer and a former equerry to Queen Elizabeth II.
Why This Marriage Lasted
Laurence has been described as the "invisible" royal husband. He doesn't seek the limelight. He doesn't do tell-all interviews. He’s just... there. Supporting her. He retired from the Navy as a Vice Admiral and has spent decades quietly accompanying Anne to grueling schedules of royal engagements.
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People often overlook Tim, but he's been the anchor. While the rest of the family dealt with the Diana years, the Fergie scandals, and more recently, the "Megxit" fallout, Anne and Tim have just stayed the course. It’s been over 30 years.
There’s a specific kind of devotion required to be the husband of the hardest-working royal. Anne consistently carries out more engagements than anyone else in the family. Tim is usually three steps behind, carrying a briefcase or a coat, looking perfectly content with his lot in life.
The Nuance of Royal Divorce in the 90s
It’s easy to look back now and think "so what?" People get divorced all the time. But in 1992, Princess Anne was a pioneer in a way she probably never wanted to be.
She was the first child of a reigning monarch to divorce and remarry since King Henry VIII, if you want to get technical about the optics (though obviously, the legalities changed). Her decision to marry Tim Laurence in Scotland was a tactical masterstroke. It avoided a direct confrontation with the Church of England's leadership while allowing her to move on with her life.
Key Differences Between the Two Husbands
- Mark Phillips: The "Commoner" who stayed a commoner. High-profile athlete. Father of her two children. Eventually linked to a paternity scandal that made reconciliation impossible.
- Timothy Laurence: The Military Man. Loyal aide-turned-husband. No biological children with Anne, but a steady presence for her adult kids. He was even granted the right to use the "Sir" title and is often seen on the balcony at Trooping the Colour.
What Most People Get Wrong About Anne’s Love Life
There is a persistent myth that Anne is "cold" or "unlucky in love."
Honestly? That’s rubbish.
If you look at the trajectory of her life, she’s someone who values duty above all else, but she won't sacrifice her personal happiness for a facade. She stayed in her first marriage for nearly 20 years. She’s been in her second for over 30. That’s not "unlucky." That’s a woman who realized a situation was broken, fixed it, and moved on.
She also had a brief, famous "thing" with Andrew Parker Bowles before she married Mark. Yes, that Andrew Parker Bowles—the first husband of Queen Camilla. The 70s royal circle was incredibly small and, frankly, a bit incestuous in its social groupings. But Anne and Andrew remained lifelong friends. It’s that pragmatic Anne energy again.
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The Legacy of the Princess Royal’s Marriages
When you consider the question of who was Princess Anne married to, you’re really looking at a timeline of the British Monarchy’s modernization.
Anne proved that the sky wouldn't fall if a royal marriage ended. She proved that you could find a second chance and that it could be successful. Her children, Zara and Peter, are perhaps the most "normal" of the Queen’s grandchildren, largely because of the decisions Anne and Mark made back in '73 to keep them untitled.
Today, Anne and Tim Laurence live at Gatcombe Park. They are the quintessential "old guard" couple.
Practical Takeaways for Royal Watchers
If you're trying to keep the facts straight for a trivia night or just to satisfy your own curiosity, here is the "cheat sheet" for Princess Anne’s marital history:
- First Husband: Mark Phillips (1973–1992). An Olympic equestrian and Army Captain.
- Children: Peter (born 1977) and Zara (born 1981).
- Second Husband: Timothy Laurence (1992–Present). A retired naval officer.
- The "Other" Guy: Andrew Parker Bowles (dated in the early 70s, remained close friends).
- The Turning Point: The 1989 separation and the 1992 divorce/remarriage.
To truly understand Anne, you have to look at the work she does now. She isn't defined by the men she married. She’s defined by her patronage of over 300 charities and her role as the "reliable" one. Her marriages are just a backdrop to a life of intense public service.
If you want to dig deeper into the royal family tree, your best bet is to look into the 1992 Annus Horribilis documentaries. They provide the most context for why Anne’s divorce was such a massive cultural shift for the UK. You can also visit the official Royal Family website, which maintains the formal biographies of both Mark Phillips and Sir Timothy Laurence, though they omit the "juicy" bits you'll find in biographies like Sally Bedell Smith’s work.
The next time you see the Princess Royal at a garden party or a state funeral, look for the tall, quiet man with the military bearing standing just behind her. That’s Tim. He’s been there for three decades, and by all accounts, he’s exactly who she needed all along.
Next Steps for Research:
- Verify the Wedding Dates: Cross-reference the November 14, 1973, wedding with the December 12, 1992, wedding to see how the ceremonies differed in scale and tone.
- Equestrian History: Look up the results of the 1971 European Eventing Championship where Anne won gold; this is where her public image truly solidified before her first marriage.
- Legal Precedents: Check the 1772 Royal Marriages Act to understand why Anne needed the Queen's formal permission for both unions.