King Charles’ sister Princess Anne devotes her wedding anniversary to duty on his behalf

Princess Anne, the only sister of King Charles, spent her wedding anniversary on duty at Sandhurst.

The Princess Royal celebrated 33 years of marriage to Sir Tim Laurence at the Sovereign’s Parade, the Royal Military Academy ceremony which marks the end of an arduous training programme for cadet officers.

The mid-December parade, one of the three held at the academy through the year, usually sees a royal in attendance and this year it was Anne doing the honours on behalf of King Charles.

The Princess arrived by helicopter for the ceremony on a grey and drizzly day.

She had dressed to be seen in the murky weather, choosing a bright turquoise coat and matching fedora style hat while sensibly adding a warm scarf underneath her crossover collar.

The Princess Royal inspected the cadet officers during the parade, stopping to chat to a few as she made her way along the line.

This was her second military engagement in as many days having visited the Royal Regiment of Scotland at Fort George 48 hours earlier.

Anne then headed back to her home at Gatcombe Park to celebrate her wedding anniversary with Sir Tim. 

The couple were married on December 12, 1992, at Crathie Kirk near Balmoral, a low-key affair attended only by close family and friends. 

Their marriage has become one of the strongest and long-lasting in the modern royal family.

Princess Anne’s busy diary shows no signs of slowing down with events lined up in London, Oxford and Edinburgh, before joining her brother, King Charles, at Sandringham for Christmas with her family.