Princess Anne will speak at Rotary International convention

By Geoff Johnson

Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, Princess Anne, will address the 2018 Rotary International Convention on 24 June in Toronto.

The second child and only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Princess Royal is Patron of Save the Children UK, an international, nongovernmental organization that focuses on health, education, protection, and disaster relief for children. 

A strong advocate for children’s rights, The Princess Royal annually travels the world in support of Save the Children and other charities. In addition, the Princess Royal is president or patron of more than 300 other organizations.

The Princess Royal is Chancellor of the University of London, the University of Edinburgh, and the University of the Highlands and Islands. She is also Grand Master of the Royal Victorian Order, a Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, and, in recognition of her extensive charity work in Scotland, an Extra Knight of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle. 

An accomplished equestrian, Princess Anne won a gold medal (1971) and two silver medals (1975) at the European Three-Day Event Championships, and in 1976, in Montreal, she became the first member of the British Royal Family to compete in the Olympics. She currently serves as President of the British Olympic Association and is a member of the International Olympic Committee. 

In 1973, in a ceremony at Westminster Abbey, Princess Anne married Lieutenant Mark Phillips of the Queen’s Dragoon Guards.  The Princess Royal has two children, Peter and Zara. 

After her marriage to Captain Phillips was dissolved in April 1992, The Princess Royal married Commander (now Vice Admiral) Sir Timothy Laurence, Royal Navy.  The Princess Royal has three grandchildren.  Her son, Peter, and his wife, Autumn, have two daughters; her daughter, Zara, and her husband, Mike Tindall, have a daughter and are expecting a second child this summer.

• Learn more about the convention at riconvention.org