The Queen named her only daughter Princess Royal 35 years ago in June 1987, but did you know that Princess Anne’s royal title is extremely rare?
Since Charles I established the title of Princess Royal for his daughter, Princess Mary, in 1642, the 71-year-old is only the seventh person to hold it.
While the title is traditionally given to the sovereign’s eldest daughter, it is not a given. Princess Mary, the only daughter of King George V and Queen Mary, died in 1965, making Anne the last Princess Royal. Princess Anne was given the title on June 13, 1987, after it had been vacant for 22 years.
The title is held for life, even if the holder outlives her monarch’s parent, which is why King George VI was unable to name his eldest daughter, Princess Elizabeth, Princess Royal because her aunt, Princess Mary, already held the title.
When Prince William succeeds to the throne, he will not be able to bestow the title on his daughter, Princess Charlotte, if Princess Anne is still using it.
In 1973, Princess Anne married Captain Mark Phillips, with whom she has two children, Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips.
The couple split up in 1989, and three years later, they divorced. Anne married Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence in 1992, and the couple now lives at Gatcombe Park, the Princess’ Gloucester home.
Anne is the grandmother of Savannah, 11, and Isla, 9, Peter and his former wife Autumn’s daughters, as well as Zara and Mike Tindall’s three children, Mia, 8, Lena, 3, and one-year-old Lucas.
