Princess Anne's enduring love: The man behind her understated life

Sir Timothy Laurence has been Princess Anne’s husband for over thirty years. The British monarchy is no stranger to media attention, but the couple does not like to flaunt and is relatively rarely seen together. Who is the man who stole her heart?

It’s no secret that the British royal family and the tabloid press are inextricably linked. After all, it is thanks to successive articles that the world knows that Camilla is the wife of King Charles III, and Prince William promised love and fidelity until death to Kate Middleton. However, many royals have a slightly different approach to privacy.

For years, Princess Anne has belonged to royals who avoid media scandals. She is also not inclined to talk publicly about her situation, so relatively little is known about her private life. You may not know that Anne has been with her current husband for over 30 years, and they met when he served as her aide.

Sir Timothy Laurence, the man who stole Anne’s heart, was interested in military service from a very young age, eventually leading him to the Royal Naval College in Dartmouth. His career developed dynamically, and his professionalism and commitment were appreciated in numerous fields.

Until 2011, Laurence served in the Royal Navy, where he held various command positions, including positions on board several naval units. Their acquaintance quickly turned into a deeper relationship, even though Princess Anne was then married to Captain Mark Phillips. As a result, her previous marriage did not survive.

In 1992, not only Anne’s divorce occurred, but so did another wedding, this time to Timothy. The ceremony took place in December of that same year in Scotland. However, it was a rather difficult moment for the royals because, literally a few days earlier, Charles announced that his marriage to Princess Diana was over.

Their marriage, although less media-focused than other relationships in the royal family, has proven to be enduring and full of mutual support. The couple still appears together today, although it happens much less frequently than other royals. They diligently fulfill their roles in the monarchy: they were photographed together, among other events, at the coronation of King Charles.