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Princess Anne was joined by Andrew Parker Bowles on the second day of Royal Ascot yesterday. The pair were photographed on the stands looking at the races and commenting on them.
While Princess Anne donned a green dress paired with an ivory fascinator, the 81-year-old retired Army officer wore a dark suit with a white buttoned-up shirt and an electric blue tie.
Mr Parker Bowles is the former husband of Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.
The pair got married in 1973 but split in 1995, three years before Prince Charles and the Duchess officially revealed they were in a relationship.
However, before marrying Camilla, Mr Parker Bowles was romantically involved in a relationship with the Princess Royal.
And Anne and the former Army officer have remained on good terms since, according to a source.
A mutual friend told the Daily Mail’s Richard Eden: “Anne and Andrew have remained close friends for decades.”
A testament to their friendly relationship can be found not just in their appearances together on various racecourses over the past decades.
Anne and her former husband Mark Phillips also chose Mr Parker Bowles as one of the godparents of their daughter Zara Tindall.
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Mr Parker Bowles have also remained on good terms with his former wife Camilla, as he was invited to her wedding with Prince Charles in 2005.
Much like Mr Parker Bowles and Camilla, Anna and Mr Phillips got married in 1973.
Their marriage ended in a divorce finalised in 1992, after which the Princess Royal married her current partner Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence.
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The couple lives at Gatcombe Park, near Zara and her husband Mike.
Anne and Sir Timothy recently welcomed a grandchild – Lucas Philip Tindall, born in late March.
Anne is also the grandmother of Autumn and Peter Phillips’ daughters Isla and Savannah as well as the Tindalls’ children Mia and Lena.
On Tuesday, Zara and Mike made their first joint official appearance together since welcoming their son.
Zara and her mother share a keen passion for horses and horse racing.
Princess Anne made royal history in 1976 by becoming the first member of the Firm to compete at the Olympics.
Zara followed in her footsteps and competed in the London Olympics in 2012, during which she won a silver medal – presented to her by the Princess Royal.
Among the other members of the Royal Family who have already been at Royal Ascot, there is Prince Edward Sophie, Countess of Wessex.
Prince Charles and Camilla also attended both days at the races.
One guest who has been missing so far is the Queen, who has been attending Royal Ascot without fail since 1946 – with the exception of last year when the races had to be carried out behind closed doors due to the coronavirus pandemic.
This year, as social distancing remains in place, the Queen has reportedly decided not to attend Ascot in her traditional manner but to possibly made an appearance to watch the performances of some of her horses.
Today, the monarch has one runner, Just Fine, taking part in the King George V Handicap.
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