The Highlight
In celebration of her approaching 75th birthday on August 15, Buckingham Palace has unveiled a stunning new portrait of Princess Anne.
This photo, snapped by royal photographer Chris Jackson, captures the Princess Royal enjoying a moment with her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, at a French state banquet held at Windsor Castle on July 8.
Notably, in a bold style shift, Anne traded her iconic bouffant hairstyle—something she flaunted for half a century—for an elegant chignon, marking a significant hair transformation that we’ve never seen in her official images before.
This rare portrait arrives just a month before the royal celebrates her own milestone, and while Anne chooses to forgo a big birthday celebration—like a glittering party or media appearances—in favor of a tranquil day of sailing with her husband, reported The Telegraph.
The only birthday-related event the down-to-earth royal decided to touch upon was a gathering at Buckingham Palace, where she invited approximately 300 members from her charity patronages. During the event, she expressed, “It’s always a pleasure to learn more about what you all do.”
Deeply Engaged
At the gathering, she remarked, “I’m not here because I wanted this. You all have kindly asked me to be a patron of your organizations, so it’s a privilege for me to have everyone gathered here.”
Known as one of the hardest working royals, Anne’s birthday portrait has been released on August 8, one month post-capture. Within the mesmerizing frame taken at the French state dinner, where King Charles and Queen Camilla hosted French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron, we see her swap out her trademark bouffant—worn for five decades—for the new chignon style, completed with the Festoon Tiara she received back in 1973 when she turned 23, as shared by People.
After her horse-related injury last summer, which resulted in a concussion and a lengthy hospital stay, Anne spoke on her renewed perspective about life: “It serves as a reminder—anything can happen and there are no guarantees of recovery,” expressing that she feels every single day is a remarkable gift, as quoted by BBC.
The bouffant hairstyle, which she first debuted back in 1973 and maintained ever since, is something Anne shared in the 2020 documentary Princess Royal: Anne at 70, noting that it’s a quick style to maintain, saying, “It only takes about 10 or 15 minutes,” which possibly explains why she’s kept it for such a long duration.
