King Charles issues an unprecedented honour to Princess Anne’s husband, Sir Tim Laurence during their Balmoral break
As Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, Sir Tim now ranks alongside the Princess of Wales and Queen Camilla
King Charles has named Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence, pictured here with Princess Anne at Windsor Castle for the French state visit, a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order
AARON CHOWN/Getty Images
‘We are both map and chart people. We like to know where we are and see where we are going.’ So said Sir Timothy Laurence ahead of his wife, Princess Anne’s 70th birthday back in 2020. Five years on, could either of the pair have foreseen the unprecedented honour that King Charles has just bestowed on the retired Navy Officer
Quietly, Buckingham Palace have revealed that Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, who has been married to Princess Anne for 33 years, had been made a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order by His Majesty at Balmoral Castle. The highest title available within the Order, which recognises personal service to the royal family or the monarch, the new insignia puts Laurence on par with the likes of Queen Camilla, the Princess of Wales, and the Duchess of Edinburgh.
The Princess Royal and Sir Tim Laurence attend a service at Crathie Kirk, near Balmoral
Paul Campbell – PA Images/Getty Images
The 70-year-old, who has been promoted from Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order, is the only non-working member of the extended royal family to have been awarded the honour. Indeed, King Charles’ decision places Laurence above Prince Harry in terms of the Order, with the Duke of Sussex named a Knight Commander by Queen Elizabeth II in 2015.
While it’s true that the Vice Admiral is not a working member of the royal family, he has been a stalwart presence by Princess Anne’s side throughout their three decades of marriage. His support will have been especially vital over the past year, as the Princess Royal stepped up to represent the royal family while King Charles and the Princess of Wales took time off from public engagements to recover during their cancer treatments.
The Princess Royal and Sir Tim Laurence with the Household Cavalry this July
Hoda Davaine/Getty Images
Not only that, but Anne suffered a head injury at Gatcombe Park in June 2024 – a moment that was, as a source close to the family told The Times, ‘so much worse than anyone let on.’ ‘Sir Tim’, as he is known among royal watchers, stood by his wife at the hospital as she recovered, alongside her daughter, Zara Tindall, and was no doubt a reassuring influence as the Princess Royal made her return to public-facing duties a matter of weeks later.
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The pair’s bond has been forged in scandal, tying the knot in 1992, the year that Princess Anne divorced her previous husband, Mark Philips. Laurence, who was then a commander in the Royal Navy, met Anne while he was serving on the Royal Yacht Britannia – between 1986 and 1989, he had served as an equerry for Queen Elizabeth II. Their relationship developed at the start of her separation from Phillips, and private letters between the two were published by The Sun in 1989.
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Timothy Laurence on duty during the arrival of Nigerian President Babangida at Victoria Station in London – his first public appearance since being named as the author of letters stolen from the Princess Royal
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The pair tied the knot at Crathie Church in 1992
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The pair married in a small, private service with just 30 guests at Crathie Kirk near Balmoral on 12 December 1992. At the time, the Church of England didn’t allow divorced people to remarry in its churches while their former spouse was still alive, so the couple were forced to choose Scotland as their location. Anne became the first royal divorcee to remarry since Victoria, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine, granddaughter of Queen Victoria, married Grand Duke Cyril Vladimirovich of Russia in 1905.
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In an ITV show that was aired ahead of Princess Anne’s 70th birthday in August 2020 called Anne: The Princess Royal at 70 , Laurence spoke candidly about joining The Firm. He said: ‘One of the great surprises for me, when I first went to Balmoral, Sandringham and Windsor was that these places are full of laughter.’ He also said in the documentary, ‘The similarities with her (Princess Anne’s) father are much talked about, but what is less spoken about is the similarities with her mother, the Queen… the common theme is humour, fun.’
‘She grew up with horses, horses have been part of her life, it’s not something I share with her,’ Sir Tim confessed of his relationship with Princess Anne
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The success of their union is in spite of the fact that they disagree on one major passion of Anne’s. ‘She grew up with horses, horses have been part of her life, it’s not something I share with her,’ Laurence confessed. Sadly, I’ve never been bitten by the horse bug.’ Discussing Anne’s first marriage to Captain Mark Phillips, Sir Tim also joked: ‘It’s quite amusing that she married first an army officer and then a naval officer. So there must be something about the military that attracts her.’
No doubt the pair are celebrating in their characteristically pragmatic, no-nonsense fashion. They arrived at Balmoral this Summer after their annual holiday sailing trip around western Scotland. As The Times reported: ‘Being at sea with Laurence, say friends, is her “happy place”, and a testament to the strength of their marriage.’ This honour from King Charles is surely a testament to Sir Tim’s decades of royal service, too.
