The Many Loves Of The Queen’s Only Daughter Princess Anne Includes This Romance With A Surprising Figure Attached To The Royal Family

BuzzNovember 27, 2019

The media and the public may be more focused on the goings-on in the lives of the younger royals but that doesn’t mean that their older counterparts didn’t lead equally interesting lives.

Case in point is the current Princess Royal Anne. While she may now be known for her serious and no-nonsense public image, the Queen’s only daughter actually has a colorful past, especially in the romantic department.

Shared Interests

Princess Anne and Parker Bowles together at the Cheltenham Festival in 2016

One of the first men linked with Princess Anne is Olympic gold medalist Richard Meade. The two shared a common love for horses with the royal being a skilled rider herself and Meade being dubbed as ‘Britain’s most successful male equestrian Olympian’.

And although they didn’t end up together as a couple, Meade did continue to enjoy close relations with the royal family. In fact, Prince William even named his son, James Meade, as one of his children’s godparents.

Surprisingly, Princess Anne was also linked to Andrew Parker Bowles, who was Camila, Duchess of Cornwall’s first husband. Some even say that Camila might have never gotten together with Princess Anne’s brother Prince Charles if her then-beau hadn’t had an affair with the royal. But while her brother and Camila ended up together, Princess Anne and Parker Bowles didn’t.

Settling Down

The two were married at Westminster Abbey in 1973. Their wedding was broadcast around the world and was reportedly watched by around 100 million people

The princess eventually settled down with her first husband Captain Mark Phillips just a couple of months after her reported relationship with Parker Bowles ended. The couple met in 1968 while attending the same party for horse lovers. Their union resulted in two children Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips.

Their daughter actually shared the ex-couple’s love for horseback riding and is an accomplished equestrian herself. It can be remembered that Tindall also participated in the 2012 summer Olympics where she won a silver medal presented to her by her own mother.

Unfortunately, they ultimately parted ways after almost two decades of marriage. They divorced in 1992 but have announced their desire to separate from each other years earlier in 1989 revealing that their marriage has been under strain for a long time.

Second Marriage

Princess Anne and Laurence will soon celebrate their 27th wedding anniversary in December

She went on to marry her second husband Timothy Laurence, a Royal Navy officer the same year she got divorced. However, it’s worth noting that they’ve been linked to each other three years prior to their wedding. Unlike her first, her second trip down the aisle was a private affair that was witnessed by just about 30 guests and was held in Scotland.

They reportedly chose to marry there because the Church of England wouldn’t have allowed a divorcee with a living spouse to remarry yet. The two don’t have any children together but are still going strong until today.