The Princess Royal is set to turn 75 on 15 August, leaving royal fans wondering how she will mark the occasion.
In a new piece, The Times revealed how Anne will spend the day, showcasing the bond she has with her husband of 33 years, Sir Timothy Laurence.
"Anne will spend her birthday doing what she does every August, sailing with her husband around western Scotland for about ten days with no staff on board, before joining the King at Balmoral," The Times reported.
© Getty"Being at sea with Laurence, say friends, is her 'happy place', and a testament to the strength of their marriage."
Meanwhile, a source close to Anne told The Times: "It speaks to their relationship. They go every May and August and have done it for years. How many couples could go out to sea that often, just the two of them, and still be speaking to each other? She loves it."
Scotland's role in Anne and Sir Timothy's love story
Princess Anne's romance with Sir Timothy got off to a rather unconventional start after they wed within the same year the late Queen's only daughter divorced her first husband, Captain Mark Phillips.
© EPAThe Palace announced that Anne had filed for divorce from the father of two children, Zara and Peter, on 13 April 1991. It was finalised on 23 April 1992, and Anne tied the knot with Timothy Laurence on 12 December 1992.
© Raw/Nre/ShutterstockMuch like Anne's private birthday plans, her second wedding day was an understated affair. The couple, who met when Timothy served as an equerry to Queen Elizabeth II in 1986, eloped to Scotland and wed in a private ceremony with only 30 guests at Crathie Kirk near Balmoral Castle.
© WireImageTimothy and Anne's bond
"The Princess Royal is notoriously tight-lipped about her private life, and I think the fact that she and Sir Tim Laurence had a very low-key wedding is indicative of how she is protective over that aspect of her life," Danielle Stacey, HELLO!'s Online Royal Correspondent, says.
"Sir Tim has always quietly supported his wife and is typically by her side at major royal outings. We know the pair share a love of sport, particularly rugby and sailing. They also appear to have a fun, playful side together, with Sir Tim once remarking on how Anne and her late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, shared a similar sense of humour."
Though Anne had emotional ties to Scotland as she often spent summers during her childhood at Balmoral, her decision to marry her second husband there was also one of practicality as the Church of England did not permit remarrying.
Since tying the knot, the pair have frequently visited Scotland and often accompany King Charles and Queen Camilla to The Braemar Gathering, the most well-known event from the Highland Games.
© Keystone, GettyOf her love of Scotland, Anne once said: "My grandmother was a great influence on all of us, but I don't think any of us needed convincing to have a love of Scotland.
© Chris Jackson"Scotland is such a beautiful country with such passionate people, who could fail to want to be a part of it?"
