It has been 51 years today since Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips tied the knot at Westminster Abbey. November 14, 1973, marked the first televised royal wedding, with the ceremony broadcasted in colour on the BBC. Over 500 million viewers tuned in to watch Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip's first child marry the distinguished lieutenant of the 1st Queen's Dragoon Guards.
© ShutterstockDespite the Princess believing she had married her soulmate, the union sadly wasn't to last. After 19 years of marriage and welcoming two children, Peter, in 1977, and Zara, in 1981, the couple sadly announced their separation in 1989 with a statement from Buckingham Palace.
The confirmation read: "Her Royal Highness, the Princess Royal, and Capt. Mark Phillips have decided to separate on terms agreed between them." It ended with a shocking sentence: "There are no plans for divorce proceedings."
Anne's hesitation to end her marriage with Mark was a result of social and royal stigma around divorce. However, three years later, despite the Princess's earlier statement that she had no plans for divorce proceedings, the palace announced that Anne had unconventionally filed for divorce on April 13, 1991.
The Princess first met the captain in 1968 during a horse-riding event in Mexico City and the pair bonded over their mutual love for equestrianism. Captain Mark Philips proposed five years later with a luxurious sapphire and diamond engagement ring designed by Garrad.
© Tim GrahamThe wedding day was filled with celebration, with crowds gathering for street parties to toast the royal nuptials. The martial event kept with tradition and was commemorated on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, where royal crowds cheered to show their support.
Princess Anne wore a vintage-style wedding dress adorned with pearl embroidery. The elegant dress, designed by Susan Small's chief designer, Maureen Baker, featured a high neckline, long sleeves and an opulent 7ft-long train. The royal bride finished her look with a stunning veil held in place by the Queen Mary Fringe Tiara, while her hair was styled into a fashionable chignon.
© PA ImagesDespite their separation, Anne and Mark continued to share custody of their children and have remained on friendly terms since.
Princess Anne married her second husband, Commander Timothy Laurence, in the same year she divorced Captain Mark Phillips. The pair eloped to Scotland and enjoyed a private ceremony with only 30 guests at Crathie Kirk near Balmoral Castle. The low-key wedding was a result of the Church of England not allowing divorcees to remarry until a decade later in 2002.
The only sister of King Charles III became the first royal divorcée to remarry since Queen Victoria's granddaughter, Princess Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
