King Charles Gives Princess Anne’s Husband an Unexpected Honor

It’s an unprecedented title for a non-working royal.

he end of summer is usually a quiet period for the royals. But it appears that King Charles has quietly bestowed a monumental honor on his brother-in-law, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, Princess Anne’s husband of more than three decades. Per Tatler, Laurence has been made a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order in a ceremony at Balmoral Castle, the royal family’s official residence in the Scottish Highlands where they go for summer vacation every year.

Laurence, 70, a retired Royal Navy officer, was promoted from Knight Commander to Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order. The new title is the highest available within the Order, which recognizes personal service to the royal family or the monarch. It puts Laurence on par with the likes of Queen Camilla, the Duchess of Edinburgh, and the Princess of Wales.

Princess Anne and Laurence on the balcony of Buckingham Palace for Trooping the Colour in 2025.

Laurence met Princess Anne, who recently celebrated her 75th birthday, when he served as an equerry to Queen Elizabeth II. He and Princess Anne married in 1992 at Crathie Kirk, the local church the royals normally frequent when in residence at Balmoral, after she divorced from her first husband, Mark Phillips.

Princess Anne and Laurence at VE Day Celebrations earlier this year.

Over the years, he’s become a fixture by Anne’s side at royal events. In 2022, Buckingham Palace announced in advance of Queen Elizabeth’s annual birthday celebration, Trooping the Colour, that only working royals would appear on the balcony, with just a few exceptions, including Laurence. More recently, he has been seen frequently accompanying Anne as she carried out public engagements since she sustained a traumatic head injury in 2024.