Happy family celebrations for Princess Anne and her son

Princess Anne is celebrating a very special family occasion.

The 72-year-old's grandchild, Isla Phillips, turned 11 on 29 March. Isla is the daughter of Anne's son, Peter Phillips, and her arrival in 2012 marked the moment Anne became a grandmother for a second time.

Peter shares Isla with his ex-wife, Autumn Phillips. The couple, who were married in May 2008, welcomed Savannah, now 12, in December 2010, followed by Isla 15 months later. In February 2020, the couple confirmed they had separated in 2019. Their divorce was settled in June 2021. Find out more about their split here...

In total, Anne has five grandchildren. Her daughter Zara Tindall shares three children with her husband, Mike: Mia, nine, Lena, four, and little Lucas.

It's been a month of celebrations for the family; just eight days ago, Lucas celebrated his second birthday.

© Max Mumby/Indigo

Anne is a doting grandmother. She is frequently photographed laughing and playing with her grandchildren at family gatherings, including the Badminton Horse Trials.

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 A friend of the Princess previously described her as a "fun-loving granny", telling the Daily Mail: "Anne loves to play games with them, the messier the better. Her influence on the little ones is clearly shown in the fact they're country girls who love getting filthy and mucking about."

© Max Mumby/Indigo

It's certainly in keeping with Anne's down-to-earth nature. The late Queen's only daughter is renowned for her practical, 'I'm game' approach – a trait that has earned her huge praise and popularity amongst the public.

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She is said to be the one who encourages her grandchildren to push boundaries – such as jumping into swimming pools or picking especially tricky hiding places.

© Max Mumby/Indigo

But she also loves reading to them. Her granddaughters are believed to particularly enjoy her recitals of The Velveteen Rabbit. It's a touching choice; the book was daughter Zara's favourite, so much so that her cousins Prince William and Prince Harry read extracts aloud at her wedding to Mike in 2011.

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