Princess Anne's flare-sleeve wedding dress sparks controversy among royal fans

Before marrying Sir Timothy Laurence, Princess Anne wed Captain Mark Phillips on 14 November 1973, and their would-be anniversary sparks controversy among her fans every year.

The late Queen Elizabeth II's daughter, then 22, looked stunning as she married her first husband, 25, at Westminster Abbey in London, wearing a Tudor-style wedding dress designed by Maureen Baker at Susan Small that remains iconic today.

Features included trumpet sleeves, an A-line skirt encrusted with pearls and a seven-foot train, which she teamed with Queen Mary’s Fringe tiara secured in her bouffant brunette hair and silk floral veil.

While many fans have been enjoying seeing the royal family's biggest milestones brought to life on our screens thanks to The Crown, many noted that the Netflix show glossed over Anne's big day, robbing them of the opportunity to see her wedding dress again.

On 14 November, fan account Royal Watcher took to X to spark up the conversation again, writing: "50 years ago today, Princess Anne wore this Iconique dress to marry Mark Phillips and it remains stunning. Still haven’t forgiven Peter Morgan for not recreating it in The Crown."

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It wasn't the first time that X fans have discussed the issue, with one writing: "Going back a few seasons, I was surprised the Crown skipped both Princess Anne's kidnapping and her wedding, which were pretty big deals at the time."

"Are you telling me I have missed my favourite wedding dress that the royal family has ever produced because they clearly don’t think Princess Anne’s wedding is good enough to reconstruct #TheCrown," a second remarked, while a third had a similar sentiment: "Listen, @TheCrownNetflix has deprived us of Princess Anne’s first wedding dress and I am mad about it. This dress was classic Princess Leia greatness. #TheCrown #TheCrownS4."

The couple met in 1972 at the Munich Olympic Games, and they announced their engagement the following May after he proposed with a sapphire and diamond engagement ring designed by Garrard.

During their engagement interview, Anne and Mark were asked: "Do you think the marriage can withstand the enormous pressures of public duty and publicity that you have to endure?" to which Mark quipped: "I think we’ve withstood a great deal already this year."

Anne added: "Can? It’s got to, hasn’t it?"

Princess Anne and Mark Phillips welcomed two children, Peter, born in 1977, and Zara, born in 1981, before announcing their separation in August 1989. They got divorced in 1992 and The Princess Royal went on to marry naval officer Commander Timothy Laurence.

READ MORE: Princess Anne and Princess Margaret both wore Princess Kate's wedding tiara

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