New picture of Anne and her husband released ahead of her 75th birthday

ITV News

3 days ago

The Princess Royal's 75th birthday has been marked by the release of a new photograph of the King's sister with her husband.
Anne and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence were pictured on the night of a state banquet at Windsor Castle, held by the King in July in honour of France's President Emmanuel Macron making a state visit to the UK.
The princess is shown wearing her banquet gown and regalia, Order of the Garter Sash and Star, Order of the Thistle Star, King's Family Order and Royal Family Order from Queen Elizabeth II.
Ahead of her birthday next week, the princess has been hailed for her non-political royal soft power and 'amazing' stamina during her decades of duty.
Charity leaders who work closely with the King's sister revealed she cares deeply about the state of Britain amid the current climate of challenges facing the world.
As the princess approaches her personal milestone on Friday, the woman often labelled the hardest-working royal is said to be, rather than slowing down, doing more than ever.
She has, those who know her recounted in celebration of her birthday, a 'wicked wit', a practical approach to problems, and a flair for 'not always agreeing' with what they say.
Save The Children UK chief executive Moazzam Malik praised the 'self-effacing' princess for her influential 'soft support', adding 'you can see that she cares' about the state of the nation and the world, and in particular for children experiencing adversity.
Mr Malik said: 'Obviously, as a royal, she's not a political figure, but her soft support for us is very inspiring for us as an organisation and for our collaborators and partners.'
He added: 'She's very low key. She's self-effacing.
'She doesn't want to kind of take the limelight, but she's very committed … You can see that she cares about the state of Britain and the state of the world.
'There's a lot of challenges for us as a country, and indeed, a lot of challenges for children at a time of great geopolitical challenge. And she cares.'
Anne has been involved with Save the Children UK for 55 years, first becoming its president in 1970 in her first ever charity role in the year she turned 20, then as patron from 2017, taking over from her mother Queen Elizabeth II.
Michael Baker, chief executive of the Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA), said Anne, who has been involved with the organisation since 1971, has a 'great wicked wit', adding: 'She's the first person to put everyone at ease with a quick one-liner or something that really gets to the heart of something.'
Tanya Curry, chief executive of the Motor Neurone Disease Association, of which Anne became patron in 2008, suggested the princess had increased her workload ahead of turning 75, rather than reducing it.
'I think she's probably done a lot more for us, actually, and the kind of stamina that she brings to that, mentally and physically, is amazing,' Ms Curry said.
In June 2024, Anne was rushed to intensive care after she was believed to have been struck by a horse on her Gatcombe Park estate.
But the princess, who was back at royal duties less than three weeks later, revealed she has no memory of the incident but now views every day as a 'bonus'.
The princess supports more than 300 charities and organisations, and earlier this year brought many of them together at a special Buckingham Palace forum, insisting this was the only way she wished to mark her forthcoming 75th birthday.