Timothy Laurence facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Vice Admiral
Sir Timothy Laurence
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Laurence in 2023
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| Born | 1 March 1955 Camberwell, London, England |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/ |
Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1973–2011 |
| Commands held | Chief Executive, Defence Estates (2007–2010) HMS Montrose (1996) HMS Cumberland (1995–1996) HMS Boxer (1990–1992) HMS Cygnet (1982–1983) |
| Battles/wars | NATO intervention in Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| Awards | Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order Companion of the Order of the Bath Mentioned in Despatches Companion of the Order of the Star of Melanesia (Papua New Guinea) |
| Alma mater | University College, Durham |
| Spouse(s) | |
Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence is a retired officer from the Royal Navy. He was born on 1 March 1955. He is married to Anne, Princess Royal, who is the only sister of King Charles III.
Sir Timothy worked as an equerry for Queen Elizabeth II from 1986 to 1989. An equerry is an officer who helps a member of the Royal Family. He married Princess Anne in 1992.
Contents
Early Life and School Days
Timothy James Hamilton Laurence was born in Camberwell, South London. His father was Commander Guy Stewart Laurence, who was also in the Royal Navy. His mother was Barbara Alison Laurence. Timothy has an older brother named Jonathan.
Timothy went to The New Beacon Preparatory School and then Sevenoaks School in Kent. He then studied at University College, which is part of Durham University. He received a degree in geography. While at university, he was the editor of the student newspaper, Palatinate.
Timothy Laurence joined the Royal Navy on 1 January 1973. He started as a midshipman and then became an acting sub-lieutenant. After finishing his studies at Durham, he trained at the Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth. His first ship was HMS Aurora, a frigate. He was promoted to lieutenant on 1 March 1977.
In 1978, Laurence worked at a training base called HMS Vernon. The next year, he served on a ship called HMS Pollington. He then worked briefly on the Royal Yacht HMY Britannia. From 1980 to 1982, he was the Navigating Officer on the destroyer HMS Sheffield.
In 1982, he took command of the patrol boat HMS Cygnet. This ship helped patrol off Northern Ireland to stop illegal gun shipments. For his good work, he was mentioned in official reports.
After more training, he was posted to the frigate HMS Alacrity. He was promoted to lieutenant commander on 1 March 1985. In 1986, he attended a tactics course in Australia. During this time, he learned he would become an Equerry to the Queen. He held this important role from October 1986 to September 1989. He was promoted to commander on 31 December 1988.
In October 1989, Laurence was assigned to the frigate HMS Boxer. He became its commanding officer on 30 January 1990, when he was 34 years old. From 1992 to 1994, he worked for the navy at the Ministry of Defence in London. In May 1994, he became the first military assistant to the Secretary of State for Defence, Malcolm Rifkind. He gave military advice to the Secretary of State.
Laurence was promoted to captain on 30 June 1995. He commanded the frigate HMS Cumberland until 1996. In May 1996, his ship returned from the Adriatic Sea. There, HMS Cumberland was part of a NATO task force. On 27 August 1996, Laurence became the Commanding Officer of the frigate HMS Montrose. He also became Captain of the 6th Frigate Squadron. His ship was sent to the South Atlantic to patrol the Falkland Islands. In July 1997, Laurence returned to the Ministry of Defence. He was promoted to commodore in June 1998.
From January 1999, Laurence was a visiting fellow at St Antony's College, Oxford. He wrote a paper about how humanitarian help and peacekeeping work together. He then worked at the Joint Services Command and Staff College as an Assistant Commandant for the Navy. From 2001 to 2004, Laurence was back at the Ministry of Defence. He was in charge of Navy Resources and Programmes.
He was promoted to rear admiral on 5 July 2004. On 30 April 2007, he became vice admiral. He was also appointed as the chief executive of Defence Estates. This organization manages military properties.
In July 2009, Laurence became the Head of Profession for the British Government's Property Asset Management. This group includes experts in construction, property management, and facilities. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) made Laurence an Honorary Member in 2009.
Laurence retired from the Royal Navy in August 2010. Since then, he has worked on various projects, often related to property and rebuilding areas. He was on the board of a project management company until 2014. He is also the non-executive chairman of Dorchester Regeneration, a property development company. He is also chairman of Purfleet Centre Regeneration.
From April 2015 to December 2022, he was Chairman of the English Heritage Trust. He also served as Vice-Chairman of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission until June 2019. He is a Trustee of the HMS Victory Preservation Company.
In 2021, Laurence was elected a FSA. In December 2023, he was appointed Chairman of the Science Museum Group. In January 2025, he had to cancel an official visit to South Africa with Princess Anne. This was because he tore a ligament while working at their home, Gatcombe Park.
Marriage to Princess Anne
Laurence met Princess Anne in 1986. At that time, he was an equerry to Queen Elizabeth II. There were rumors that Princess Anne's first marriage was ending. In 1989, a newspaper called The Sun revealed that private letters from Laurence to the Princess existed. Buckingham Palace confirmed the letters were stolen and were part of a police investigation.
Laurence and Princess Anne married on 12 December 1992. Their wedding was a Church of Scotland ceremony at Crathie Kirk, near Balmoral. The Church of Scotland allows divorced people to remarry.
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Princess Anne kept her country home, Gatcombe Park in Gloucestershire, after her divorce. After marrying Laurence, they rented a flat in Dolphin Square in Westminster as their London home. They later moved to apartments in Buckingham Palace and now have an apartment at St James's Palace.
Awards and Honours
- 1983 (18 October): He was mentioned in official reports for his excellent service in Northern Ireland.
- 2004 (1 August): He was appointed as a Personal Aide-de-Camp to the Queen.
- 2023 (27 September): He became a patron of the International Maritime Rescue Federation (IMRF).
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Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO) | 14 June 2011 |
| Member of the Royal Victorian Order (MVO) | 23 August 1989 | |
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Companion of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath (CB) – Military Division | 16 June 2007 |
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General Service Medal | 18 October 1983, with 1 Clasp Northern Ireland and oak leaf for Mentioned in dispatches |
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Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal | 6 February 2002 |
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Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal | 6 February 2012 |
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Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal | 6 February 2022 |
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King Charles III Coronation Medal | 6 May 2023 |
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Companion of the Order of the Star of Melanesia (CSM) | 29 September 2005 |
See also
In Spanish: Timothy Laurence para niños
