Royal post deleted after error

A royal birthday tribute was removed after fans spotted a false claim about the Princess Royal’s family.

Palace deletes Princess Anne birthday post after blunder

Buckingham Palace deleted a birthday post meant to celebrate Princess Anne turning 75 after readers flagged a confusing line about her family. The post listed 75 facts and claimed the Princess Royal has two stepchildren from her second marriage to Sir Timothy Laurence, naming them Tom and Amy Laurence. In reality, Princess Anne has two children from her first marriage to Captain Mark Phillips, Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips, and Sir Tim has no previously reported children.

The palace pulled the page from its website and deleted a corresponding tweet. The page still appears in some search results, showing how digital records linger. The episode highlights the challenge of vetting official content in a fast paced online environment and fuels discussion about how much automated drafting or AI assistance plays a role in royal communications.

The incident underscores how quickly royal content can spread online and how a single mistake can alter a public moment. It raises questions about editorial checks, fact verification, and the role of automated drafting in official notices. It also shows the risk that even trusted institutions face when details are added or copied from draft materials without thorough review.

For the palace, the lesson is clear: accuracy beats spectacle in a digital age. In a reach driven by social media, a slip can shape public mood and color subsequent coverage. The episode invites a broader look at how the monarchy balances speed and precision while maintaining credibility with a diverse audience.

Highlights

The royal newsroom faces a test of precision as digital audiences grow louder.