By Pauline Weston Thomas for Fashion-Era.com
H.R.H Princess Anne The Princess Royal - Early days
Princess Anne and has often been chided for her dress sense and interest in fashion. The fact is Princess Anne is a classic no nonsense dresser and likes to stick with styles she feels happiest wearing. Those styles work well for her life of meeting people and they also give her years of wear.
She has had an enviable figure for many years and during her engagement to Lieutenant Mark Phillips she was photographed. She revealed herself as a dazzling young woman.
The images of Princess Anne stunned me at the time, yet these same photos of her are often long forgotten probably because she divorced Mark Phillips and moved on to a new marriage.
Her Royal Highness the Princess Anne married Lieutenant Mark Phillips on November 14, 1973. Despite their common love of horses Mark Phillips never enjoyed attending official duties with the princess and after growing apart in April 1992 they divorced.
Later that year in December 1992 and by then known as the Princess Royal, the princess married Captain Timothy Laurence. The marriage took place in Scotland very quietly without pomp or great ceremony.
Princess Anne's Wedding Dress 1973
Princess Anne's wedding gown, worn during her marriage to Captain Mark Phillips on 14 November 1973 at Westminster Abbey, was a creation of Maureen Baker, the chief designer for the ready-to-wear label Susan Small. Having previously designed outfits for the princess, Baker was entrusted with this significant task.
The dress itself featured an elegant "Tudor-style" embroidery, complemented by a high collar and gracefully flowing "mediaeval sleeves." The intricate embroidery work on the train was expertly crafted by Lock's Embroiderers, adding to the gown's regal charm.
Notably, Princess Anne herself played a pivotal role in the dress's design, contributing her ideas and preferences to several aspects of its creation.
The resulting attire, compared to earlier royal wedding dresses, exuded a sense of simplicity, harmonizing with the contemporary wedding fashions of the 1970s.
Princess Anne Royal
These are images from 1973. I've kept the pictures for years, because I though Princess Anne looked so radiant. This Vogue cover I've photographed looks wonderfully framed.
Princess Anne Marriage 1992
In 1992, Princess Anne and Sir Timothy Laurence exchanged vows in matrimony. However, due to restrictions at the time, they were compelled to journey to Scotland to solemnize their union since they were prohibited from remarrying in England.
Anne tied the knot for the second time on a winter's day, December 12, 1992, following Timothy's romantic proposal with a stunning cabochon sapphire and diamond ring. The couple's paths first crossed when Laurence, who served as a commander in the Royal Navy at the time, was stationed on the Royal Yacht Britannia.
Anne donned a white jacket, complementing her "demure, knee-length dress," while adorning her hair with a spray of white flowers for the wedding ceremony. Her engagement ring featured a cabochon sapphire with three small diamonds on each side. After the marriage service, the newlyweds and their guests proceeded to Craigowan Lodge for an intimate reception. Despite the occasion, Laurence did not receive any peerage.
Page Added 28 July 2006 updated 7/24/2023
