Sir Timothy Lawrence: Who is Princess Anne's almost 'invisible' husband?

Today, Princess Anne and her husband Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence are celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary after getting married at Balmoral in 1992 - and Sir Tim is frequently seen as a silent supporter by his wife's side.

Princess Anne is one of the most hardworking royals, frequently quietly flying across the kingdom to carry out her tasks. And all these years, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, Princess Anne's modest yet supportive husband, is by her side during many of her numerous official duties.

On this day exactly 30 years ago, on December 12, 1992, the couple married in a small, private ceremony at Balmoral. Despite their steady marriage, Sir Tim appears to stay out of the spotlight and is a non-working Royal member with no title.

Here are 5 important facts about him and his relationship with the Princess, according to the Mirror and Today.

Education

Sir Tim was born in March 1955 in Camberwell, London, meaning he is five years younger than his wife. He pursued a geography degree at Durham University, where he was the editor of the famous student newspaper Palatinate.

After graduating, he went on to the Royal Naval College Dartmouth, where he served on many ships, including the Royal Yacht Britannia. There, Sir Tim rose through the ranks and eventually became a commander.

Romance with Princess Anne

The initial rumors of Sir Tim and Anne's relationship surfaced in 1989 when intimate letters were taken from her then-husband, Captain Mark Phillips, as a result.

Buckingham Palace later revealed that they were from Sir Tim and released the following statement:

‘The stolen letters were addressed to Princess Royal by Commander Timothy Laurence, the Queen's Equerry. We have nothing to say about the contents of personal letters sent to Her Royal Highness by a friend which were stolen and which are the subject of a police investigation.’

Royal wedding

After Anne's divorce from her first husband was finalized in 1992, she was free to marry Sir Tim.

Their wedding took held in Crathie Kirk near Balmoral Castle, with approximately 30 guests in attendance, including the Queen and Prince Philip, as well as Anne's children Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips.

For the occasion, Princess Anne wore a high-neck white midi dress with a matching jacket instead of a typical bridal gown, carried a posy of heather, and wore a sprig of flowers in her hair. The couple then settled on the Gatcombe estate in Gloucestershire, close to both Peter and Zara, as well as I'm A Celeb star, Mike Tindall.

Special privilege

Despite his low-key nature, Sir Tim seems to have a special place in the royal family, with the late Queen being beloved of him.

He was granted special permission to join the monarch on the Buckingham Palace balcony after Trooping the Colour earlier this year during her Platinum Jubilee festivities. The Queen had previously stated that she would only allow working royals to accompany her on the flypast, but she made an exception for Sir Tim, two of her grandchildren, and three of her great-grandchildren.

Even Harry and Meghan weren't allowed to join the late Queen after they left for California, so Sir Timothy's privilege means he has a very special standing among the royals. He has also been made a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order and was a personal aide-de-camp to Her Majesty.

Invisible support'

And it is on these royal engagements that Sir Tim lends his support with some even calling him ‘invisible’.

However, like the late Queen, he is well-known for his sense of humor and had crowds in stitches earlier this year when he filled in for Anne at Founder's Day at The Royal Hospital Chelsea.

Giving the speech, he joked:

‘Asking me to stand in for my wife at an event like this is a bit like asking Mrs. Harry Kane to lead the England football team out.'

‘Or, possibly, to take a penalty for England as her husband did the night before last. I don't know Mrs. Kane, and for all I know she may well have a very strong right foot, but in any case, I'm sure she'd do her best, and so will I.’

He left the navy in 2010 and is now the chairman of the English Heritage Trust, as well as the former vice chairman of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Read more:

⋙ Princess Anne: Inside her surprisingly low-key Gloucestershire property

⋙ Princess Beatrice's husband allowed to break Christmas tradition thanks to Meghan Markle