Zara Tindall says her mother Princess Anne is her 'role model'

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In 1973, the Princess Royal married her first husband Captain Mark Phillips with whom she had her two children, Zara and Peter Phillips before their separation in 1989 and divorce in April 1992. Now, Princess Anne’s has celebrated her third decade with her quietly dependable husband.

The Princess Royal is regularly touted as the hardest working royal due to the number of royal duties she carries out per year.

During a number of these engagements, Sir Timothy Laurence can be seen quietly but supportively by her side.

Despite his staunch support of his wife, Sir Timothy does not carry a royal title and is not a working member of the Royal Family.

Following his graduation from Durham University where he studied geography, he attended the Royal Naval College Dartmouth which saw him serve on several ships during his naval career.

Sir Timothy became a Naval commander and served on the Royal Yacht Britannia before becoming the Queen’s Equerry in 1986 where he met Princess Anne.

While the Princess Royal was still married to her first husband, rumours swirled of her romance with Sir Timothy when personal letters between the pair were stolen.

At the time Buckingham Palace said: “The stolen letters were addressed to the Princess Royal by Commander Timothy Laurence, the Queen’s Equerry.

“We have nothing to say about the contents of personal letters sent to Her Royal Highness by a friend which were stolen and which are the subject of a police investigation.”

Following Anne’s divorce in 1992, which also saw the separations of Princess Diana and Prince Charles and Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, she was free to marry Timothy.

Despite not being a working royal and subsequently keeping himself to himself, Sir Laurence has been made a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order and was a personal aide-de-camp to Her Majesty.

The Vice Admiral was also granted special permission to appear on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, usually reserved for working royals, for the Trooping of the Colour for the Platinum Jubilee celebrations earlier this year.

At the time, a Palace spokesperson said: “In addition the Cambridge and Wessex children, also expected to appear as is Sir Tim Laurence, who the Queen is happy to attend as a frequent attendee and support for the Princess royal on official engagements.”

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Despite his quiet nature, Anne’s husband has a sense of humour which delighted the Queen and fans who were in stitches after was asked to stand in for the Princess Royal at the Founder’s Day at The Royal Hospital Chelsea earlier this year.

In his speech he said: “Asking me to stand in for my wife at an event like this is a bit like asking Mrs Harry Kane to lead the England football team out.

“Or possibly, to take a penalty for England as her husband did the night before last. I don’t know Mrs Kane, and for all I know she may well have a strong right foot, but in any case, I’m sure she’d do her best, and so will I.”

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