HRH The Princess Royal

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2012 Olympics, Buckingham Palace, Kings and Queens of England, kings and queens of the United Kingdom, Mark Philips, Prince Philip, Princess Anne, Princess Royal, Queen Elizabeth II, The Duke of Edinburgh, United Kingdom, Zarah Philips

Thursdays featured royal is….

HRH Princess Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise was born on August 15, 1950 and is the second child and only daughter of HM Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. She was born in the reign of her grandfather, King George VI, and At the time of her birth, she was third in line to the throne after her mother and elder brother, Prince Charles. When her mother became queen in 1952 Anne became second in line to the throne. Since Britain is and was still operating on male preferred primogeniture Anne has moved down the line of succession with the birth of her brothers and nieces and nephews. Currently she is 10th in line to the throne.

Anne is one of the hardest working royals. Dedicated to her work in charity Princess Anne is the patron of over 200 charities and carries out over 500 engagements per year on behalf of the monarchy. She dresses frugally and does not seek or bathe in the limelight. Her steady work ethic and the charities she supports benefit greatly from her style. For her hard work and dedication lead to Her Majesty the queen honoring her daughter with the title, Princess Royal, in 1987. The title of “Princess Royal” is a gift from the monarch to their eldest daughter and is not an hereditary title. The titles was first bestowed on Princess Mary of England and Scotland the eldest daughter of King Charles I and Queen Henrietta Maria in 1642. Queen Henrietta Maria was the daughter of King Henri IV of France and Navarre and Marie de’ Medici and she wanted to emulate the title “Madame Royale” which was a title borne by the eldest daughter of the king of France. Princess Anne is the seventh daughter to carry the title.

Princess Anne has been married twice. Her fist marriage occurred on November 14th, 1973 to Mark Phillips, then a Lieutenant in the 1st Queen’s Dragoon Guards. The couple had two children, Peter Philips born in 1977 and Zara Philips born in 1981. The couple shared an interest in the equestrian sports. Anne Was a member of the British Equestrian team in the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal. Her daughter Zara will be a member of this years British Equestrian team in London. Mark and Anne separated in 1989 and divorced in 1992. Her second marriage was to Timothy Laurence a Commander in the Royal Navy. The couple married in the church of Scotland due to the fact they they recognize and allow divorce people to remarry in the church. Although it is customary for untitled men to receive and earldom when marrying into the royal family both husbands of the Princess Royal have refused this offer.

One of the things I admire about the Princess Royal is that she has a reputation for speaking her mind. Sometimes this has gotten her into a little bit of trouble with the press. Being able to speaks ones mind and be honest is a good quality to have in life. I admire her maturity and her dedication to work and the charities she supports. I am learning that the charities that are supported by members of the royal family are greatly benefited by their patronage and in turn the people that need the charities are helped. I wish the Princess Royal a long life and I continue to support and applaud her hard work. She is an excellent role model for the importance and success of the monarchy.