WORK IN PROGRESS

Princess Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise is the daughter of Elizabeth II. She was born on August 15, 1950.

Childhood and youth

Princess Anne was born in Clarence House while her father Philip was away in Malta for business. After the birth, Elizabeth left the children to nannies and followed her husband. Anne spent her first Christmas with her brother and their grandparents.

When she returned on January 1, 1951, Elizabeth saw her very ill father and asked Philip to come home, He should never return to his old position. On January 31, they left again for a journey, leaving the children with their grandparents. It was during that time that her grandfather King George died on February 5, 1952.

In genreral, they saw their mother only on rare occasions. Even when she was at home, she did not allow them disturb her. Elizabeth's relationship to her children was always one of distance. But because Anne had a good relationship with her father was better off than the the other children. Their upbringing was regulated: they were e.g. not allowed to eat in public. And in general they were thought they were different than other people. They always had to be perfect in their appearance. In In that respect, Philip was even stricter than Elizabeth.

In contrast to Charles, Anne was a wild child. This continued during her teens when she e.g. jumped on stage in the middle of a musical and danced together with the actors. But she always paid much attention to who she was and who her mother was and she insisted on that people would encounter her adequately. She shared the passion for horse-riding with her mother and enjoyed living in the countryside. Balmoral was a paradise to her. At school she did not work more than she had to, although she was not stupid, as her Cynthia Bee from Benenden School said. Anne finished her education before the age of 18.

In 1969, she met 22 year old Sandy Harper, the son of a Lieutenant Colonel. He was a polo player and shortly after, they were always seen together. But their relationship did not last long. It might have been her tendency to spoon-feed people. Anne continued with what she liked: horse-riding, sailing, skiing, opening a hospital or a school. But was not much later that she had a.o. Richard Meade and Guy Neville around her.

The first marriage

On November 14, 1973, she finally married captain Mark Philips of the Royal Dragoner Guard. Both had met in 1968 and he, too, was a passionate horse-rider, moreover he has succeeded at Olympia. Their wedding was broadcasted all over the world. The Queen and Philip did not like him much, he talked only about the army, horses and had a strange sense of humour.

On March 20, 1974, Anne and Mark were coming home from a film premier when their car was forcefully stopped by Ian Ball, who had planned to kidnap the Princess. He wanted to get a 3.000.000 pound ransom. Several people were injured and only her courage and fierceness could thwart Ball's plan.

The children

1976, Anne and Mark settle a Gatcombe Park in Gloucestershire. There, her first son Peter Philips was born in 1977. A daughter, Zara, followed in 1981. Their parents decided not to give them any title and to keep them from the public eye. But Anne accepted the highest title of the Royal family - 'Princess Royal' - in 1987. Two years after that, Mark and she separated. They were officially divorced in 1989. Both were said have had an affair. Andrew Parker Bowles, the later husband of Camilla Shand was among Anne's former lovers and Mark had a child with another woman.

The second marriage

In December 1992, Anne married Commander Timothy Laurence, equerry of the Queen. Anne's relationship with the press, which had been a frosty one before, got better and her reputation rose.

Her social engagement

During the late 80's and early 90's Anne travelled around for a Children's Fund to help hungry, homeless and sick people in Africa, the East, India and Russia.

Succession

Because of her engagement in the well-being of others and her general awareness of problems, the wish for her becoming the next monarch developed. But this was impossible as Charles is the oldest son in the succession of the throne.

Sources

Levine, Tom: 'Die Windsors: Glanz und Tragik einer fast normalen Familie'. Frankfurt/Main: Campus Verlag, 2005.

Spoto, Donald: 'Die Windsors: Geschichte einer Familie'. München: Wilhelm Heye Verlag, 1996.