Friday marked a major occasion in England: Queen Elizabeth‘s only daughter, Princess Anne, celebrated her 75th birthday. And, as you might expect, well wishes came pouring in from all over—though it was a post from Kate Middleton that stopped me in my tracks.
The Princess of Cambridge shared a royal portrait of Princess Anne, one of two that were released by Buckingham Palace ahead of the milestone occasion. “Wishing Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal a very Happy 75th Birthday,” she shared, according to People.
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In the photo, Princess Anne wears a polished collared dress with three-quarter-length sleeves. The almost sapphire-like color complements her hair and skin tone wonderfully; she appears radiant and confident as she gazes into the camera.
This is not the first time Princess Anne has worn the oceanic shade. She turned heads while wearing a dark blue wrap dress at the Horse Guards Parade in London (though royals fans were most intrigued by her brooch, a replica of the Prince Albert brooch that Albert gave Queen Victoria on the night before their wedding in 1840).
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The dress Princess Anne wore in her portrait, however, may look a bit familiar. If so, great eye—as Rachel Bowie, senior director of royals and special projects, first reported, Queen Elizabeth’s daughter wore the outfit this past June, when she attended a reception at Windsor Castle in honor of the King’s Foundation.
As Bowie noted, Princess Anne kept her jewelry minimal—no tiaras, ornate brooches or three-string strands of pearls here. Even the outfit repeat feels deliberate. “If there’s one core message that has been delivered by the palace leading up to this milestone occasion, it’s that there will be zero. fuss. made. Yes, the Royal Mint dropped a new coin, but other than that, her intention is to spend the day as she always does: Sailing around western Scotland with her husband, Sir Timothy Laurence. And that’s that,” Bowie shared.
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As flattering as the hue is, royal blue is a fitting color for the princess to wear. It’s known to exude a sense of elegance and sophistication, according to Color Psychology, two traits that have been associated with King Charles’s sister.
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Beyond being 18th in line to the British throne, she was part of the first generation of the Royal Family to take and pass A levels (history and geography), is involved with more than 399 charities (!), was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for her work with Save the Children, and was the first member of the British Royal Family to compete in an Olympic Games. (She competed at the 1976 Montreal Olympics as a member of the British equestrian team, in case you’re curious.) Those are just a handful of her achievements—you can find even more in the 75 Facts About Princess Anne that The Royal Household published in honor of her big day.
Happy birthday, Princess Anne!
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