Royal Biographies: Princess Anne

Updated August 5, 2020 | Infoplease Staff

Princess Anne

Once Highly unpopular for her autocratic ways, Princess Anne has earned widespread respect as one of the most serious and hard working royals.

Born on August 15, 1950, the second child and only daughter of the Queen, Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise is an active royal. She is president or patron of 222 organizations, including the Save the Children Fund, of which she has been president since 1970. In 1997 she carried out an impressive 445 official engagements.

Awarded the title the Princess Royal as an adult, Anne is also an active horsewoman, representing Britain in the 1976 Montreal Olympics and other international events. In 1973 she married Lieutenant (later Captain) Mark Phillips of the Queen's Dragoon Guards. They had two children, Peter and Zara, who do not possess hereditary titles because their father did not have one.

In 1992, Princess Anne and Mark Phillips were divorced. Later that year the Princess married Captain Timothy Laurence, now Rear Admiral, of the Royal Navy. There have been recent attempts to change the rules of succession so that daughters will ascend the throne in their birth order, not giving precedence to sons. So far, these attempts have not been successful.