Details About Princess Anne And Timothy Laurence's Taboo Wedding

Throughout her several decades in the royal spotlight, Anne, Princess Royal, has repeatedly proven that she's not afraid to break tradition. The only daughter of the late Queen Elizabeth II, the princess first married Captain Mark Phillips in a glamorous 1973 royal wedding. The two exchanged vows at Westminster Abbey in a televised November ceremony, with the 22-year-old Anne wearing an elaborate, Tudor-inspired wedding gown.

In contrast, the royal's second wedding was a simple affair of only 30 guests, with the princess marrying Sir Timothy Laurence in 1992. These nuptials came after Princess Anne divorced Captain Phillips in April 1992 after sharing 18 years of marriage and two children together. However, due to the Church of England's stance on marriage after divorce, Princess Anne and Sir Laurence were unable to marry in England, prompting the couple to take their vows to Scotland where the same limitations didn't apply.

As a result, the wedding ceremony was held at the Crathie Kirk Church near the royal's Balmoral Castle estate, with the Los Angeles Times reporting that it was a cold and overcast December day. Despite the low-profile setting, reporters and curious onlookers lined the road outside of the humble chapel. As remarked by Manchester Evening News, the short and sweet ceremony lasted 26 minutes, with traditional bagpipers playing as the couple emerged from the church afterward. Though Princess Anne's second wedding was much simpler than her first, it was still a lovely occasion for the royal family.

The wedding gown from her first wedding ranks as one of Princess Anne's most iconic outfits, but the two-piece ensemble worn during the royal's nuptials to Sir Timothy Laurence is beautiful in its simplicity. The cream-colored outfit featured a cardigan-style jacket over a high-necked, knee-length dress. Princess Anne wore her hair down with a flower-adorned bee-hive, choosing to accessorize her outfit with black shoes and bouquet of Scottish heather. 

Photos from the event show that the rest of the royal family also turned out in style, though most were obviously dressed for the Scottish weather. Queen Elizabeth II and the Queen Mother both wore monochrome outfits featuring coats, with the former dressed in green while the latter sported blue. 11-year-old Zara Tindall (nee Phillips), who stood as a bridesmaid for her mother, wore a red coat over a black dress with her hair pulled back. 

Meanwhile, Sir Laurence was dressed in his Royal Navy officer uniform while both Peter Phillips, Anne's son, and King Charles III, the bride's brother, donned traditional kilts. Prince Albert, Duke of Edinburgh and his other two sons also looked handsome in their formalwear. Due to her recent separation from King Charles, Princess Diana was notably absent from the event, though she reportedly sent her well-wishes to the bride and groom.

Fans of the British royals are likely familiar with the controversial history of Princess Diana's sapphire engagement ring, but she wasn't the first royal to sport an untraditional betrothal token. Princess Anne actually received a sapphire and diamond ring for her engagement to Captain Mark Phillips, though the Queen Mother temporarily sported the gemstone before that.

Even so, Princess Anne's stunning piece of marital jewelry broke royal tradition, with her second one following suit. Both of the royal's engagement rings featured sapphires and accompanying diamonds, with the cabochon cut of the center gemstones being particularly unique for an engagement ring. Cabochon is a cutting technique that gives stones a smooth and rounded appearance in contrast to the traditional faceted cuts of most engagement rings. As explained by Serendipity Diamonds, this style of cut accentuates the coloring and semi-transparency of stones.

While Princess Anne's first engagement ring featured two diamonds, her second includes a cluster of three on either side of the sapphire. The symbolic jewelry is estimated to be worth £25,000 and is reported by jewelry brand KIAASH to be one of the most eco-conscious among the royals (per Hello! Magazine).