Princess Anne’s husband Sir Tim Laurence admits he was ‘surprised’ to discover the royal households are ‘full of laughter’ upon marrying into The Firm
- Princess Anne’s husband Sir Tim Laurence appears on ITV documentary tonight
- Admits he was ‘surprised’ at discovering royal households were ‘full of laughter’
- He added that his wife shares her ‘humour and fun’ with her mother the Queen
Princess Anne’s husband Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence has admitted he was ‘surprised’ to discover the Royal Family’s homes are ‘full of laughter’ when he married into The Firm.
The Princess Royal’s second husband of almost 30 years made the remarks in a new ITV documentary about his wife ahead of her 70th birthday in August, which airs at 9pm tonight.
Having attended many family occasions at the Queen’s Balmoral, Sandringham and Windsor Castle estates, Sir Tim, 65, said he was shocked by the amount of amusement shared at the events.
He also talked about the similarities between Anne and her 94-year-old mother – insisting his wife shares her ‘humour and fun’ with Her Majesty.
Princess Anne’s husband Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence (pictured together in March 2020) has said he was ‘surprised’ to discover the Royal Family’s homes are ‘full of laughter’ after marrying into The Firm
The Princess Royal’s second husband of almost 30 years (pictured) made the remarks in a new ITV documentary about Anne ahead of her 70th birthday, which is set to air at 9pm
Speaking on the programme, he said: ‘One of the great surprises for me, when I first went to Balmoral and to Sandringham and Windsor was that these places are full of laughter.
‘The similarities with her (Princess Anne’s) father are much talked about, but what is less spoken about is the similarities with her mother, the Queen… the common theme is humour, fun.’
Anne’s son Peter Phillips, 42, who also featured on the documentary alongside his sister Zara Tindall, 39, praised Sir Tim and Anne’s relationship.
‘They both have an understanding of what being a part of the wider family means and what is required,’ he said, before adding: ‘He’s been a very strong support for [my mother].’
Sir Tim also talked about the similarities between Anne and her 94-year-old mother, the Queen (pictured together) – insisting his wife shares her ‘humour and fun’ with Her Majesty
During his candid interview, Sir Tim also revealed the similarities and differences he shares with his wife.
‘We are both map and chart people. We like to know where we are and see where we are going,’ he explained. ‘We both follow, with great enthusiasm, the Scottish rugby team… as you may have noticed they don’t always win.’
However there is one sport that the pair don’t share a love for, and that’s horse riding, with Sir Tim confessing: ‘She grew up with horses, horses have been part of her life, it’s not something I share with her. Sadly I’ve never been bitten by the horse bug.’
Anne (pictured) was followed for more than a year by film-makers for the documentary, which will feature unseen family footage and conversations with the princess herself, her children and her husband
Talking about Anne’s first marriage to Captain Mark Phillips, which ended in 1992, Sir Tim also joked: ‘It’s quite amusing that she married first an army officer and then a naval officer. So there must be something about the military that attracts her.’
Anne and Sir Tim, 65, who live together on the royal’s Gloucestershire estate Gatcombe Park, married on December 12 in 1992 at Crathie Kirk in Balmoral, Scotland.
The royal was followed for more than a year by film-makers for the documentary, which will feature unseen family footage and conversations with the princess herself, her children and her husband.