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Season five of Netflix's hit drama The Crown introduces a cast of new faces portraying the roles of Queen Elizabeth II and her family, including Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana and Dominic West as Prince Charles.
Alongside the established characters, which viewers have seen develop in the time of the show from the 1950s to 1990s, new roles have been introduced to reflect the growing members of the British monarchy as time has gone on.
One of the newest characters introduced in season five is Princess Anne's (played by Claudia Harrison) love interest, royal equerry Timothy Laurence, portrayed by Theo Fraser Steele.
Now a familiar, if low-key, presence at royal events, Laurence will celebrate 30 years of marriage to Anne in December 2022, but what is the real story behind their romance? Newsweek has the answers.
Who Is Timothy Laurence?
Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, 67, is a former member of the British armed forces and second husband of Queen Elizabeth II's only daughter, Princess Anne, 72.
Laurence was born in London in March 1955, the younger son of naval commander Guy Stewart Laurence and his wife, Barbara. After studying at Durham University, Laurence joined the Royal Navy as a midshipman in 1973 and was promoted to lieutenant in 1977.
Laurence first worked with members of the royal family when he was briefly posted as a navigating officer aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia, and he then moved to the vessel HMS Sheffield.
In 1982, Laurence was mentioned in dispatches for his service aboard HMS Cygnet as it conducted patrols for IRA weapon smugglers in the Irish Sea.
After being promoted to lieutenant commander in 1985, Laurence was appointed as an equerry to Queen Elizabeth II. An equerry is a position within the royal household fulfilled by a serving member of the armed forces for a period of three years. Equerries are appointed to serve senior members of the royal family and accompany them on official visits, assisting them in the fulfilment of their public duties.
Laurence was promoted to commander in 1988 and left his post as equerry in 1989, the same year that his relationship with Princess Anne became public knowledge.
What Is Timothy Laurence's Relationship to Princess Anne?
Timothy Laurence and Princess Anne first became publicly linked in 1989 after a cache of letters written by him to the royal was stolen from Buckingham Palace and anonymously given to British tabloid newspaper, The Sun.
The paper, understanding that the letters may have been stolen, sent them to the police and investigated the story. While the content of the correspondence and Laurence's name were unpublished, Buckingham Palace took proactive action by releasing an official statement. It read:
"The stolen letters were addressed to the Princess Royal by Commander Timothy Laurence, the Queen's Equerry. We have nothing to say about the contents of personal letters sent to Her Royal Highness by a friend which were stolen and which are the subject of a police investigation."
Though the content was unpublished, the romantic nature of the letters was widely reported. This caused controversy as Anne was still married to her first husband, Captain Mark Phillips. The palace's statement had been made in April 1989, and the couple announced their official separation that August, later divorcing in April 1992.
Laurence and Anne went public with their relationship after her separation from Phillips was announced, and the couple married in a small private ceremony in Crathie Kirk parish church on the queen's Balmoral estate in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, on December 12, 1992. As Anne was a divorcee, she could not marry in a formal church ceremony in England, a problem King Charles III faced when he married Camilla Parker Bowles in 2005.
What Does Timothy Laurence Do Now?
Timothy Laurence was reported to have been well liked by his late parents-in-law, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, and became a well-integrated member of the royal family, though he is not considered a "working royal."
Laurence continued with his naval career after his marriage and retired in 2010, having risen to the rank of vice admiral. He was knighted by the queen in June 2011, giving him the title of Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence.
Laurence is a regular fixture at royal family events such as weddings, Royal Ascot, jubilees and, most recently, the memorial ceremonies for the late queen.
As Princess Anne's husband, Laurence accompanies his wife on a number of her official engagements, including royal tours. In October, he travelled with the princess to Uganda to undertake a three-day tour, and he is also expected to have a senior position in Westminster Abbey, London, for the coronation of his brother-in-law King Charles III on May 6, 2023.
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About the writer
James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family ... Read more