Anne didn't want anything for her 75th except to help her charities

PRINCESS ROYAL'S MILESTONE

- By Emily Ferguson Royal Editor

HER commitment, wisdom, determination and wicked sense of humour are just some of the things that make the Princess Royal so special, according to those who have worked closely with her over the decades.

Anne, who is regularly named Britain's hardest-working royal, will turn 75 next Friday. But the no-fuss Princess wants to keep things simple and mark the occasion privately.

There will be no major public celebration for her birthday as she has asked to use the occasion to focus solely on the work of her good causes. But Buckingham Palace did persuade her to release a new official photograph for the occasion.

Having previously been against the idea, Anne posed for a photo with her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, 70, ahead of the State Banquet hosted at Windsor Castle for French president Emmanuel Macron last month.

Taken by royal photographer Chris Jackson inside the impressive royal residence, the photo shows the smiling couple standing side by side in formal dress. Anne is wearing a white gown with a lace trim and bolero jacket, accessorised with the striking Festoon tiara, which she wore in her 23rd birthday portrait, with a matching diamond necklace and earrings.

Pinned to her jacket is the Royal Family Order of both King Charles and Queen Elizabeth, and the Garter and Thistle stars, while a diamond ribbon brooch is pinned to her blue Garter sash.

Her husband wears a white tie, with his Companion of the Order of the Bath decoration and a bar of seven medals reflecting his 37 years of military service.