Princess Anne Debuts First Hair Makeover in 50 Years in New Portrait For Milestone Birthday
Princess Anne will celebrate her milestone 75th birthday on August 15. Ahead of her big day, on August 8, Buckingham Palace released a new portrait of the Princess Royal with her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence. The photo, taken by Getty Images' Chris Jackson before the July State Banquet at Windsor Castle for French President Emmanuel Macron, shows Anne looking elegant and poised.
What especially caught the attention of royal watchers, however, was her hair transformation. After nearly five decades with her trademark bouffant, Anne swapped it for a sleek chignon at the banquet, the PEOPLE reported. Meanwhile, for her outfit, Anne donned a white evening dress and jacket paired with a dazzling diamond necklace, the Festoon Tiara, along with her royal family orders, the Thistle Star and the Garter Star, and a sash, as per HELLO! True to her no-fuss attitude towards life, the dress was a repeat of her official birthday portrait from when she turned 70.
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Instead of hosting a birthday party, Anne also chose to welcome a wide range of charities and organizations to a special pre-birthday gathering at Buckingham Palace in June, Marie Claire reported. As a patron of more than 400 organizations, her lifelong dedication to charitable causes remained the focus of the event. “This is exactly what matters to Her Royal Highness,” a royal source explained. “She didn’t want a celebration for herself; she wanted to bring her charities together, learn more about their work, and see how she could support them.” As per The Telegraph, Anne herself, too, admitted the same to her guests at the event: “...the pleasure I get from visiting and finding out a bit more about what you do.”
Opening the event in the ballroom, her private secretary, Colonel John Boyd, also acknowledged, “As you are aware, the Princess has given decades of time and support to more than 400 charities and patronages. It probably won’t come as a surprise, given HRH’s commitment to you all, that the way the Princess wants to celebrate this milestone is to replicate what she’s done on previous significant birthdays and hold this charities forum again to once again understand how she can help you, at a time when the third sector is facing unprecedented challenges and transformations.”
Other than spotlighting charities, Anne is also set to embark on a 10-day sailing trip around western Scotland with Sir Tim, a tradition they enjoy every May and August without any staff on board. Friends of the Princess described it as her 'happy place' and a testament to their enduring bond. “How many couples could go out to sea that often, just the two of them, and still be speaking to each other?” After her sailing break, she is expected to join King Charles and the rest of the royal family at Balmoral. Anne has also told her close team she plans to start 'winding down a little' at 80, and step back completely at 90, a timeline mirroring that of her late father, Prince Philip, who retired at 96.