But when the occasion
demands it, she can
always be relied on to cut a dash, as in this
blue
dévoré long-sleeved dress
For Princess Anne, the Princess Royal,
her milestone birthday marks the culmination of many years of hard work. As a
lady of the Garter, Grand Dame of the Royal Victorian Order, Colonel-in-Chief
of numerous regiments as well as Gold Stick in Waiting, her role in the
monarchy is fully recognised by the Queen, the royal household and the public.
Now it is rumoured that the Queen is to confer Britain's second highest order
of chivalry, the Order of the Thistle - Scotland's greatest honour - on her
daughter. If so, it will further acknowledge the Princess Royal's commitment
and show the Queen's appreciation of Anne's extensive work, both royal and
charitable.
Anne is, at 50, what we always suspected she would
become: dedicated, hard-working and utterly at ease with herself. Her second
marriage to Commodore Timothy Laurence, the former equerry she wed in December
1992, has also been conducted on her own terms. Unlike former husband Mark
Phillips, with whom Anne was always in competition, Tim is prepared to let his
wife say what she thinks. He is placid, easy-going and supportive, offering the
stability and devotion Anne needs to carry on her punishing schedule of public
duties.
Their home, Gatcombe Park in Gloucestershire, is run without
live-in staff and Anne does all the cooking unless she has a house party. She
keeps fit and slim by riding, dismissing the notion of a personal trainer as a
waste of time and money, but takes little or no interest in clothes.
For a woman who once famously said that she did not like children very much,
Princess Anne could reasonably consider Peter and Zara as her greatest
achievements. She has given them the most normal upbringing possible for
grandchildren of the Queen and they have grown into unaffected adults who enjoy
a good relationship with her - a testament to her own no-nonsense personality
which, along with her charity work, has won tremendous respect from the public.
For, in all areas of her life, Anne gets on with the job. The Queen
has recognised her importance in the family business and realises, too, that
Prince Charles is likely to succeed the throne as a single man and will need a
consort at his side. Who better than his sister, who has proved her worth over
and over again?
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Striking new photos that portray
Showing her informal side has never
been a problem. As an
accomplished
horsewoman and renowned for her
practicality, she looks at
ease in a
jumper and trousers, her long hair
swept off her face
FULL
PICTURE
These portraits of the Princess Royal
were taken at
Gatcombe Park and show
her looking happy and relaxed. She is wearing
the Meander Tiara which was a wedding
gift to the Queen from Prince
Philip's
mother, Princess Andrew of Greece
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