Princess Anne's military experience and uniform explained

15 June 2024, 10:00

Princess Anne will dress in her military uniform for this year's Trooping the Colour
Princess Anne will dress in her military uniform for this year's Trooping the Colour. Picture: Getty
Alice Dear

By Alice Dear

Why does Princess Anne wear a military uniform to Trooping the Colour and does she have any military experience?

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Princess Anne, 73, will join the rest of the Royal Family on 15th June to mark Trooping the Colour, the official birthday of the Monarch; her brother King Charles III.

For the parade, which travels down The Mall to Horse Guards Parade and back to Buckingham Palace, the Princess Royal will ride horseback while wearing a military uniform adorned with medals.

This is a regular occurrence for the royal, who will always wear the smart uniform ceremonial military events alongside Prince William, King Charles and Prince Edward.

These military uniforms are often worn by members of the Royal Family to show the rank they held and the branch they served in the armed forces, however, not all of the royals who wear uniforms have served - including Princess Anne.

Princess Anne may not have served in the armed forces, but her many titles and honours in the military mean she is allowed to wear the uniform for events such as Trooping the Colour
Princess Anne may not have served in the armed forces, but her many titles and honours in the military mean she is allowed to wear the uniform for events such as Trooping the Colour. Picture: Getty

What is Princess Anne's military experience?

Despite wearing military uniforms to ceremonial events, Princess Anne has never served in the armed forces.

The Princess Royal is allowed to wear the iconic uniform, however, because she holds many titles and honours within the armed forces.

What titles does Princess Anne have in the military?

Princess Anne's military uniform is of the Royal Navy branch and references her role of Rear Admiral, which she gained in 1993, before being promoted to Vice Admiral in 2009 and then Admiral in 2012.

In 2020, the Princess Royal was given the title of General in the British Army and an Air Chief Marshal in the Royal Air Force.

She also holds many titles across the commonwealth, including Commodore-in-Chief of the Royal Canadian Navy, Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal New Zealand Army Nursing Corps and Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Australian Corps of Transport.