Princess Anne and her husband's travel companion revealed as they jet off to New Zealand

Princess Anne and her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, will have an unusual Valentine's Day this year.

The couple have travelled to New Zealand for a four-day visit, having departed from London's Heathrow airport on Monday evening.

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It is Anne's ninth visit to the country – and this time the Princess and her husband are accompanied by an important member of her entourage, Charles Davies.

Mr Davies has worked as Anne's Private Secretary since February 2019. This will be his first visit to New Zealand as a member of her team.

© Photo: Getty Images

Anne – whose reputation as the non-fuss hardest working royal has earned her great admiration – last travelled to New Zealand in 2010. Her trip this week will mark the first royal visit since King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla went there in 2019.

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Anne's working visit to New Zealand marks her fourth trip abroad since the start of the year.

© Photo: Getty Images

In January, the Princess Royal visited Estonia, where she was pictured sitting in a NATO tank, and she also flew to Cyprus in her role as Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Logistic Corps.

On 16 January, Anne and Sir Tim represented the British royal family at the funeral service for the former king of Greece, Constantine II, in Athens.

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New Zealand's new Prime Minister, Chris Hipkins, said in a statement: "Princess Anne is travelling to Aotearoa at the request of the NZ Army's Royal New Zealand Corps of Signals, of which she is Colonel in Chief, to attend its 100th Anniversary celebrations at Linton Military Camp in Palmerston North.

© Photo: Getty Images

"It's terrific that Her Royal Highness will be able to connect with past and present members of the Corps and acknowledge the importance of signallers within New Zealand Defence Force operations over the last 100 years."

He added: "The Princess Royal will undertake other engagements during her visit, including attending an Act of Remembrance (wreath laying) at Pukeahu National War Memorial in Wellington. Her Royal Highness will also rededicate the War Memorial at Cathedral Square in Christchurch."

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