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Anne, Princess Royal

Born Clarence House, 15 Aug 1950

6 facts1 source

Living person. The family sees only the name, dates and photo; everything else stays private unless they choose to share it.

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 15 Aug 1950

    Born in Clarence House

During her lifetime

She has lived through 8 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Clarence House.

General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.

The 1950s · Anne, is born in Clarence House

In the news1958

First motorway opens in 1958

Britain opened its first motorway, the Preston bypass, in 1958.

What people wore

Everyday wear and voluminous party skirts

Women wore floral pinafores as everyday house wear and favoured full-skirted dresses with stiffened petticoats for special occasions. These skirts were sometimes so voluminous that they made it difficult for women to pass through doorways.

Daily life

Manual housework and outdoor facilities

Many homes lacked modern appliances, so housework was manual and time-consuming, and people often stored food in larders instead of fridges. Outdoor toilets and washing in tin baths in front of the fire were common for some families during this time.

In the news1954

Food rationing ends in 1954

Food rationing, which began during World War II, finally ended in 1954.

Music

Popularity of Dance Halls and Instruction

In the 1950s, dance halls like the Palais were popular venues where people learned the foxtrot and waltz to the music of dance bands. These halls were essential social spaces for meeting others, supported by numerous local dance schools and instructors.

In Europe1948–1952

The Marshall Plan

American aid of some $13 billion rebuilt the ruined economies of Western Europe.

Getting around

Work commute times remained stable

The average time for a work commute in Britain remained remarkably stable, averaging roughly 33 to 34 minutes during the 1950s and 1960s.