Anne, Princess Royal attends the premiere of Barry Evans’ ‘The Mystery of Edwin Drood’, London, with her husband Timothy Laurence, 28th April 1993. (Photo by Dave Benett/Getty Images)

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By James Reginato

Sir Timothy Laurence celebrated his 71st birthday on 1 March, no doubt marking the occasion with his beloved wife, Princess Anne. Perhaps the couple spent some time sailing – ‘being at sea with Laurence, say friends, is her “happy place”, and a testament to the strength of their marriage,’ revealed a report in The Times last year.

An enduring pillar of support, not just for the Princess Royal but for the entire royal family, ‘Sir Tim’ was honoured last year when King Charles named him a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, placing him at the same level as the Princess of Wales and Queen Camilla in terms of seniority – the only non-working member of the extended royal family to hold the title. But who is the retired Naval Officer, whose wedding into the royal family, a controversy at the time, has proven one of the Firm’s best blessings?

The royal couple are known to enjoy time spent on sailing, as well as watching Princess Anne’s daughter, Zara Tindall, compete in eventing

 Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

Born on 1 March 1955 to Commander Guy Stewart Laurence and Barbara Alison Laurence, Timothy Laurence can trace his family history back to Zaccaria Levy, the 18th-century Jewish merchant who moved from Venice to England with his wife, Simcha Ana, née Montefiore. He studied at the New Beacon Prep School (joining alumnae including Henry Thynne, 6th Marquess of Bath, and the war poet Siegfried Sassoon), and at Sevenoaks School in Kent (where alumnae include Princess Elisabeth von Thurn and Taxis, Prince Amedeo of Belgium, and Daniel Day-Lewis).

After graduating from Durham University, an illustrious military career followed. Sir Tim was commissioned into the Navy as a midshipman on New Year’s Day, 1973, and his work would take him all the way to the Royal Yacht Britannia, where he served as Second Navigating Officer. A prodigious talent, he was promoted to lieutenant ten months ahead of schedule and was mentioned in dispatches for his service on patrols against the IRA gunrunners in Northern Ireland as the commander of HMS Cygnet in 1982.

Sir Tim served as equerry to the late Queen until 1989

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On his birthday in 1985, he was promoted to lieutenant commander. The following year, while attending the Royal Australian Navy Tactics Course in Sydney, he was notified that he had been selected to serve as equerry to Queen Elizabeth II. It was while he held this position, between 1986 and 1992, that Sir Tim met Princess Anne.

Their relationship developed at the start of the Princess Royal’s separation from Captain Mark Phillips, and private letters between her and Laurence were published by The Sun in 1989.

Timothy Laurence on duty during the arrival of Nigerian President Babangida at Victoria Station in London – his first public appearance since being named as the author of letters stolen from the Princess Royal

 David Giles – PA Images/Getty Images

The pair married in a small, private service with just 30 guests at Crathie Kirk near Balmoral on 12 December 1992. At the time, the Church of England didn’t allow divorced people to remarry in its churches while their former spouse was still alive, so the couple were forced to choose Scotland as their location. Anne became the first royal divorcee to remarry since Victoria, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine, granddaughter of Queen Victoria, married Grand Duke Cyril Vladimirovich of Russia in 1905. After tying the knot, the couple leased a flat in Dolphin Square, Westminster.

The pair tied the knot at Crathie Church in 1992

 EPA/Getty Images
In an ITV show that was aired ahead of Princess Anne’s 70th birthday in August 2020 called Anne: The Princess Royal at 70 , Laurence spoke candidly about joining The Firm. He said: ‘One of the great surprises for me, when I first went to Balmoral, Sandringham and Windsor was that these places are full of laughter.’ He also said in the documentary, ‘The similarities with her (Princess Anne’s) father are much talked about, but what is less spoken about is the similarities with her mother, the Queen… the common theme is humour, fun.’

The success of their union is in spite of the fact that they disagree on one major passion of Anne’s. ‘She grew up with horses, horses have been part of her life, it’s not something I share with her,’ Laurence confessed. Sadly, I’ve never been bitten by the horse bug.’ Discussing Anne’s first marriage to Captain Mark Phillips, Sir Tim also joked: ‘It’s quite amusing that she married first an army officer and then a naval officer. So there must be something about the military that attracts her.’

King Charles named Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence – pictured here with Princess Anne at Windsor Castle for the French state visit – a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order in August 2025

 AARON CHOWN/Getty Images
After completing his work as the late Queen’s equerry, Sir Tim returned to naval duties, making Vice Admiral in 2007 after serving aboard HMS Boxer, HMS Cumberland, and HMS Montrose. Since retiring from the Navy in 2010, he has focused his work on property and regeneration work, holding the Chairman position of the English Heritage Trust between 2015 and 2022 and the Vice-Chairman of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission until 2019. He continues to join his wife on royal visits, including an official tour of Australia and Singapore in November, though his tour of South Africa was cancelled in January 2025 due to a torn ligament injury sustained at home in Gatcombe Park.

‘We are both map and chart people. We like to know where we are and see where we are going,’ said Sir Tim ahead of Princess Anne’s birthday back in 2020. No doubt the couple have plenty planned for the years to come.