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As many know, divorce within the royal family is a big no-no.
Though we think of Prince Harry as the royal rule breaker, Anne was way ahead of him.
As a teen, she was often tied to a different boy, including cavalry officer Gerald Ward.
Funnily enough, Ward went on to become Harry’s godfather with time.
Her father, Prince Philip, however, was not a fan of the match.
Princess Anne’s heart was captured by Andrew Parker Bowles
Yes,thatParker Bowles.
Their time together, however, was a bit short-lived.
However, the two remained in each other’s lives in a particularly meaningful way.
Despite their status as exes, Anne designated Parker Bowles in her children’s lives.
But why did things really cease between these two?
As it turns out, one formality, in particular, stood in their way.
Parker Bowles was and is Catholic.
It’s no wonder, then, that she met her first husband through her sporting connections.
Phillips pursued his career as a horseback rider while he was still in the army.
Their romantic relationship developed rather rapidly, and Phillips popped the question.
He presented her with a stunning engagement ring, featuring a blue sapphire flanked by two diamonds.
Anne’s gown was, in our opinion,one of the most striking royal wedding gowns.
“He couldn’t resist women and they couldn’t resist him,” Linda once said.
“But with Princess Anne it was different.
It was obvious he was playing with fire there and could get seriously burnt.”
The two conducted their affair in the mid to late 1980s, resulting in Tonkin’s pregnancy.
After she welcomed their daughter Felicity, Phillips started paying her child support.
Naturally, things between Anne and Phillips were too far gone, and the pair separated in 1989.
But, Anne also crossed paths with one Timothy Laurence in 1986, and she was fairly smitten.
He understands her tantrums and the bad publicity she attracts.
But most of all, he cares for her in the way her husband does not."
Naturally, it made the front page.
It was rocky water for the new couple, but they got through it.
Now, this came with yet another layer of complexity because nothing is easy in the royal family.
After the wedding, the newlyweds and the royal family celebrated at the lodge on Balmoral’s grounds.
Anne and Laurence have been happily married ever since.
