Royal Family shares new photo of King Charles and Anne on her 73rd birthday
Princess Anne turned 73 today.
The royal family has shared a behind-the-scenes photograph of Princess Anne with the King on Coronation Day to celebrate her birthday.
Anne, who turned 73 today, is pictured dressed as Colonel of the Blues and Royals in a red plumed hat and military uniform.
She is next to her newly-crowned brother Charles, who is wearing the Imperial State Crown, his purple satin coronation tunic and Robe of Estate.
The two are smiling warmly at each other.
The message reads: ‘Wishing Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal a very Happy Birthday today!’
The social media post also includes a family archive picture of two-year-old Prince Charles sweetly leaning over to hold 11-month-old Anne’s hand in 1951.
They are sitting side by side in their prams, with Anne wearing a knitted bonnet tied under her chin.
The public tribute contrasts with the Duchess of Sussex’s birthday earlier this month, when the royal family’s official account on Twitter did not post a birthday message for Meghan for the second year running.
Usually just working members of the monarchy are recognised on royal social media channels.
But the royal family’s account did so for Meghan’s birthday in 2021 and 2020 after she had quit as a working royal.
Anne was born at Clarence House on August 15 1950 – the only daughter of Princess Elizabeth, later Queen Elizabeth II, and the Duke of Edinburgh.
She was at the late Queen’s bedside in Balmoral Castle when she died in September last year, and this is her first birthday since her mother’s death.
She is involved with more than 300 charities, organisations and military regiments, she is considered one of the hardest-working members of the royal family.
A skilled horsewoman, the princess won the individual championship at Burghley in 1971, and was voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year.
She also competed in the 1976 Montreal Olympics as a three-day eventer in the British equestrian team.
In 1974, she survived an attempted kidnapping when a gunman tried to abduct her and then husband Captain Mark Phillips as they were being driven along The Mall to Buckingham Palace.
She kept her cool, and when the gunman, Ian Ball, told her to ‘come with me for a day or two’ because he wanted £2 million.
But Anne replied: ‘Not bloody likely – and I haven’t got £2 million.’
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