Timothy Laurence Biography - Facts, Childhood, Family Life & Achievements

Timothy Laurence Biography

(Retired Royal Navy Officer and Husband of Princess Anne, Daughter of Queen Elizabeth II)

Birthday: March 1, 1955 (Pisces)

Born In: Camberwell, London, United Kingdom

Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence is a retired Royal Navy officer and the second husband of Anne, Princess Royal, the only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II of United Kingdom and Prince Philip. From 1986 to 1989, he served as Equerry to the Queen. During his career in Navy, he commanded frigates such as HMS Cygnet, HMS Boxer, HMS Cumberland, and HMS Montrose, and took part in the NATO-led IFOR Task Force. He served in the Ministry of Defence in 1992-94, and again in 2001-2004. He also served as Chief Executive of Defence Estates from 2007 to 2010. Following his retirement, he became interested in charitable initiatives with particular emphasis on property and regeneration. He serves as Chairman of the English Heritage Trust since April 2015 and was Vice Chairman of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission until June 2019.
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Quick Facts

British Celebrities Born In March

Also Known As: Sir Timothy James Hamilton Laurence

Age: 69 Years, 69 Year Old Males

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Anne, Princess Royal (m. 1992)

father: Guy Stewart Laurence

mother: Barbara Alison Laurence

siblings: Jonathan Dobree Laurence

Military Leaders Royal Family Members

City: London, England

Notable Alumni: Sevenoaks School, University College, Durham

More Facts

education: University Of Durham, University College, Durham, Sevenoaks School

awards: Companion of the Order of the Bath
Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order

Early Career
Timothy Laurence joined the Royal Navy as midshipman on January 1, 1973, and exactly two years later, became an acting sub-lieutenant. After completing his navy training at the Britannia Royal Naval College Dartmouth, he was posted to the Plymouth-based frigate ‘HMS Aurora’. On March 1, 1977, ten months before schedule, he was promoted to the post of lieutenant. He served on the training establishment ‘HMS Vernon’, in 1978 and on the minesweeper ‘HMS Pollington’, in 1979. For a brief period of time, he was the second Navigating Officer of the Royal Yacht HMY Britannia, following which he became the Navigating Officer of the destroyer ‘HMS Sheffield’ in 1980.
In 1982, as part of the patrols for IRA gun-runners, he took command of the patrol boat, HMS Cygnet, off Northern Ireland, and was mentioned in despatches for his service. On March 1985, after completing the Principal Warfare Officer course aboard ‘HMS Dryad’, he was promoted to lieutenant commander and was posted to the frigate ‘HMS Alacrity’. In March 1986, while he was attending the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) Tactics Course at HMAS Watson, Sydney, he was notified of his first staff appointment as Equerry to the Queen Elizabeth II starting the following month. While serving in this position, he fell in love with Princess Anne and later married her in 1992.
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Later Career
Timothy Laurence was promoted as Commander on December 31, 1988, and was posted to the new frigate ‘HMS Boxer’, in October 1989. He took charge as its Commanding Officer on January 30, 1990, when he was just 34. He served on the naval staff in the Ministry of Defence, London, for two years before being appointed the first Military Assistant to the Secretary of State for Defence, Malcolm Rifkind. On June 30, 1995, he was promoted to the rank of Captain and commanded the frigate ‘HMS Cumberland’, which served in the NATO-led IFOR Task Force until May 1996.
On August 27, 1996, he became Commanding Officer of the frigate ‘HMS Montrose’ as well as Captain of the 6th Frigate Squadron. Returning to the Ministry of Defence in July 1997, he was posted to the Joint Services Command and Staff College as a Commodore, as Assistant Commandant (Navy), on June 15, 1999. In July 2004, he was promoted to Rear Admiral and was appointed Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff. He was promoted to vice admiral on April 30, 2007, and finally retired from the Navy in August 2010.
Family & Personal Life
Timothy James Hamilton Laurence was born on March 1, 1955 in Camberwell, South London, England, to Guy Stewart Laurence and Barbara Alison Laurence. His father was a Commander in the Royal Navy, as well as a salesman for a marine engine manufacturer. He has an older brother named Jonathan Dobree Laurence. He studied at The New Beacon Preparatory School, and then at Sevenoaks School, in Kent. He attended University College, University of Durham on a Naval Scholarship and received his Bachelor of Science upper 2nd class honors degree in geography. He was the captain of his college cricket team and also edited the student newspaper, 'Palatinate'. Following graduation, he completed his naval training at the Britannia Royal Naval College Dartmouth.
Timothy Laurence met Princess Anne, in 1986, when she was still married to her first husband Captain Mark Phillips. Amidst reports of her first marriage breaking apart, 'The Sun' revealed private correspondence between Timothy Laurence and the Princess in 1989. After she obtained divorce from Phillips in 1992, they were married on December 12, 1992, in a Church of Scotland ceremony at Crathie Parish Church, Ballater, near Balmoral. While he did not receive peerage on marriage, he was made a personal aide-de-camp to the Queen in 2008 and a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in June 2011. After marriage, they leased a flat in the Dolphin Square complex in Westminster, but later returned to apartments in Buckingham Palace. They currently have an apartment at St James's Palace.

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