On 12th December 1992, The Princess Royal and Sir Timothy Laurence married in a small ceremony at Crathie Kirk, near to Balmoral.
Today marks their 30th wedding anniversary, so in turn we’re re-winding back to 1992 to take a look a their low-key wedding day…
How did Princess Anne meet Sir Tim?
The couple met when Tim was in the Royal Navy serving on Royal Yacht Britannia as Second Navigating Officer; the stint aboard was described a ‘brief’ but the yacht was used for long summer holidays by the Royal Family. Princess Anne was still married to Captain Mark Phillips at this point, but it is widely understood the marriage was not in a good condition.
Their relationship developed in 1989, around the time of the Princess’ separation, which was three years after he was appointed as an equerry to the Queen.
Equerries act as something of a personal assistant to a Royal – helping with diaries, logistics and their day-to-day work. They are often seen accompanying Royals to events as part of the entourage.
The couple are known to share a love of sailing, lighthouses, and rugby.
The engagement
On their engagement, the Princess received a sapphire ring from her beau.
This one is a blue cabochon stone flanked by three small diamonds on each side, set on a yellow gold band. It is a simple ring, given a lift of uniqueness with the sapphire – well-suited to the no-nonsense, low-maintenance Royal.
Why Scotland?
Anne and Tim married at Crathie Kirk. The church is near Balmoral Castle in Scotland, the late Queen’s Scottish retreat built by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.
The couple had to take their vows north of the border as the Church of England did not permit remarriage; Princess Ann’s divorce from Mark Phillips was finalised in 1992.
The ceremony
The Duke of Edinburgh drove his daughter to church in a Land Rover, setting the low-key tone for the day.
They invited approximately 30 guests the private service, including Anne’s parents, the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh, her children Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips, as well as her brothers, the Prince of Wales and the Duke of York.
For the occasion, Princess Anne didn’t opt for a traditional gown, instead wearing a high neck shift-style dress with a white jacket. She paired the look with black shoes and carried a small bunch of heather (symbolising good luck) for her bouquet, which matched the flowers in her hair.
Tim wore his naval uniform for the occasion.
Despite the minimum-fuss affair, crowds still turned out to wish the newlyweds well.
As the couple left the church, bagpipes were playing, in ode to the Scottish location. The newlyweds had a post-ceremony celebration at Craigowan Lodge on the Balmoral estate.