She is renowned for her thriftiness when it comes to fashion and is undoubtedly ‘the queen of recycling’.
But Princess Anne truly outdid herself this week by rewearing a classic 70s safari-style trouser suit a staggering 52 years on from its royal debut.
The King’s 75-year-old sister has just concluded a whirlwind official visit on behalf on the monarchy to Australia and Singapore along with her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence.
She was seen wearing the cream, short-sleeved suit on a visit to the Airbus Asia training Centre, the largest of its kind in the world, in Singapore on Thursday as part of a two-day visit to mark 60 years of diplomatic relations between the Southeast Asian country and the UK.
Eagle-eyed fan account ‘The Laurences-’ noted that the outfit seemed stylishly familiar, having being first unveiled by the late Queen’s daughter on July 20th 1973 when she and her then fiancée, Captain Mark Phillips, attended Guards Polo Club at Smith’s Lawn, Windsor. Anne would have been just 22 at the time.
She and Captain Phillips married later that year.
Further investigations by the Mail have uncovered another public outing for the suit in July 1975 when she flew back to the UK from an equestrian event in the US.
On all three occasions she settled it with smart, but sensible, flat brown loafers.
Princess Anne has just concluded a whirlwind official visit on behalf on the monarchy to Australia and Singapore along with her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence
Princess Anne truly outdid herself this week by rewearing a classic 70s safari-style trouser suit a staggering 52 years on from its royal debut. Pictured in 1973 (left) and this week (right)
Cleverly, however, she has styled it differently each time, wearing the jacket with bare arms in 1973, over a crisp white shirt in 1975 and then this week over a striped shirt with elbow-length sleeves and ditching the belt.
Fashion editor Jo Elvin, and the host of the Daily Mail’s royal show Palace Confidential, praised the princess for her impeccable sense of style.
‘This has to be the last word on timeless chic – which admittedly is easy if you’ve managed to keep the same svelte figure for some 50 plus years! ‘ she said.
‘But Anne’s safari suit still looks fresh because of the impeccable tailoring: the sharp, straight leg, the beautiful detailing on the jacket in the front pockets and sleeve cuffs.
‘That gloriously “peak 70s” collar is softened and updated with that layer of a more modern shirt. The removal of the original belt lets it skim her figure with grace.
‘No notes, Princess, it’s flawless. ‘
And it seems as if she shares the same sense of flair with her brother, King Charles, who celebrated his 77th birthday yesterday.
A new portrait issued by Buckingham Palace to mark the occasion shows him in top to toe shades of cream and taupe.
The picture was taken at Sandringham, his Norfolk Estate, and shows the monarch also sporting an open neck shirt underneath his jacket and leaning on a crook.
Typically the workaholic sovereign was on public duty despite the special day, along with his wife, Queen Camilla, in South Wales.
He was treated to an impressive cake in the shape of Cyfartha Castle and a rendition of Happy Birthday by stars including Gavin and Stacey’s Ruth Jones and fashioner designer Julian McDonald.
He later got the chance to enjoy a birthday treat that money can’t buy – driving a tram-train at the South Wales Metro Depot in Taff’s Well.
