Today is Princess Anne’s 75th birthday. She apparently requested that Buckingham Palace not make any kind of fuss, but they still organized a handful of briefings and complimentary coverage of the monarchy’s longtime “workhorse.” BP’s communications office also decided to make a listicle of “75 Facts About Princess Anne on her 75th birthday.” They published the list on Thursday, one day before Anne’s birthday, only no one in the office bothered to proofread it? Or they used AI? Or maybe they’re soft-launching some interesting biographical information about Anne and her husband Tim Laurence. Because the actual royal.uk site claimed that Tim Laurence has two children and Anne is their stepmother.
Buckingham Palace has been left red-faced after a birthday tribute to Princess Anne didn’t go according to plan. The Palace had released a list of 75 facts about the Princess Royal in honour of her upcoming 75th birthday on tomorrow. However, one so-called fact caused quite a stir among Royal enthusiasts, leading to the entire post being removed.
The contentious point was number fourteen on the list, which claimed that Anne, King Charles’ sister, had two stepchildren from her second marriage to Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence. The Palace even named these supposed stepchildren as Tom and Amy Laurence.This information was quickly debunked by eagle-eyed fans who pointed out that Sir Tim, a retired Royal Navy officer, had not been previously married before tying the knot with Princess Anne in December 1992. Furthermore, there has never been any mention of him having children from a previous relationship.
Anne herself has two children, Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips, from her first marriage to Captain Mark Phillips. Despite the Palace removing the page from its website, it still appears on Google, and the tweet has also been deleted, reports the Express
One user who noticed the mistake commented: “#14 Tom and Amy Laurence? Either I’ve gone crazy or Sir Tim Laurence has secret children.” They added: “Pretty sure this is an error, but how did that happen? I can’t think of any Tom & Amy siblings in the extended royal family.”
Another chimed in with: “That would be the best hidden royal secret ever.” A third person disputed: “This is not true. Sir Tim does not have children from a previous relationship.”
A fourth individual queried: “That is so odd? Could it be an AI mistake? Someone at BP made that list with chatgpt but didn’t check it? Otherwise that would be one heck of a plot twist.”
I don’t even know what conspiracy to spin here. It’s left me questioning whether Tim really does have two children and someone in the palace let the cat out of the bag. It’s possible this was a bizarre AI mixup, but A) why would Buckingham Palace use AI for “facts about Anne” and B) why and how would AI spit out such an outlandish, never-before-heard conspiracy about Tim’s secret children AND THEIR NAMES???
#14 Tom and Amy Laurence? Either I’ve gone crazy or Sir Time Laurence has secret children.
Pretty sure this is an error, but how did that happen? I can’t think of any Tom & Amy siblings in the extended royal family. https://t.co/T02ezEoNBw pic.twitter.com/InPT4kx9Cg
— Gert’s Royals (@Gertsroyals) August 13, 2025
???? 75 today! Thank you for all of your kind birthday wishes for The Princess this week.
???? John Swannell pic.twitter.com/ryLR21hkWJ
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) August 15, 2025
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.
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- The Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence depart the annual Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey in London. Picture date: Monday March 13, 2023.,Image: 762521294, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Jordan Pettitt / Avalon
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- Windsor, UK, 19 June 2023: (left to right) The Duchess of Edinburgh, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence and the Princess Royal depart the annual Order of the Garter Service at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, Berkshire.,Image: 784271354, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS ***, *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Yui Mok / Avalon
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- Windsor, Berkshire, UK, 27 February 2024: (front row left to right) the Duke of Gloucester, Admiral Sir Tim Laurence and the Princess Royal are joined by (second row left to right) Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, Sarah Duchess of York, Lady Helen Taylor and the Duke of Kent attend a thanksgiving service for the life of King Constantine of the Hellenes at St George’s Chapel, in Windsor Castle, Berkshire. Constantine II, who died on January 10, 2023 was the last King of Greece, reigning from 1964 to 1974.,Image: 851426363, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Jonathan Brady / Avalon
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- The Princess Royal, accompanied by Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence speak to guests as they attend the Not Forgotten Association Annual Garden Party at Buckingham Palace in London. The Not Forgotten Association is a tri-service charity which provides entertainment, leisure and recreation for the serving wounded, injured or sick and for ex-service men and women with disabilities.,Image: 873924249, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Victoria Jones / Avalon
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- Princess Anne and her husband Tim Lawrence ride in a carriage after attending the Order of the Garter service, which is held at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, in Windsor, England, Monday, June 17, 2024. The Order of the Garter is the oldest and most senior British Order of Chivalry, established by King Edward III nearly 700 years ago. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, Pool),Image: 882392199, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Pool, *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Kirsty Wigglesworth / Avalon
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- The Duke of Kent, Princess Anne and Timothy Laurence seen on the Palace balcony for a RAF fly-by during Trooping the colour on Saturday 14 June 2025 at Buckingham Palace, London. Number 7 Company Coldstream Guards Troop their Colour in the presence of His Majesty The King. Over 1350 soldiers of the Household Division and King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery took part, including over 300 musicians from the Massed Bands.. Picture,Image: 1010947890, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: World Rights – Julie Edwards/Avalon.Red, Model Release: no, Credit line: Julie Edwards/Avalon
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Service of Thanksgiving to mark 200 years of the RNLI at Westminster Abbey, London
Featuring: Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence
Where: London, United Kingdom
When: 04 Mar 2024
Credit: Cover Images
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Service of Thanksgiving to mark 200 years of the RNLI at Westminster Abbey, London
Featuring: Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence
Where: London, United Kingdom
When: 04 Mar 2024
Credit: Cover Images
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Members of the royal family on Day Three of Royal Ascot Meeting 2025
Featuring: Princess Anne and Timothy Laurence
Where: Ascot, United Kingdom
When: 19 Jun 2025
Credit: Cover Images
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The 2025 Royal Welsh Show held at the Royal Welsh Showground returns to Builth Wells, where the show continues to be the biggest agricultural show in Europe
Featuring: Princess Anne inside the Horticulture tent
Where: Builth Wells, Wales, United Kingdom
When: 21 Jul 2025
Credit: Joann Randles/Cover Images
