Happy birthday to a Princess of many parts

Princess Anne turns 74. | Cameron Smith/PA Wire

The warm wishes shared with Princess Anne on her 74th birthday reminds us of the woman whose sense of public duty seldom misses a beat.

A woman with a natural, down-to-earth air, she is made of many parts: An Olympic equestrian, a kidnap survivor, a lighthouse lover and a Scottish rugby fan. Those who know her best describe her as being a fabulous laugh and a natural on the dancefloor.

Often referred to as the hardest working royal, Princess Anne attended more official engagements than her brother King Charles during the first year of his reign - 457 in fact, compared to the King’s 425.

She is a regular in Scotland with itineraries sending her north, south east and west - Galashiels, Greenock, Banff, Denny, Anstruther, Jura, Tain and Wick were among the visits on year. In Ballater, she buys her favourite sausages from the butcher, thinly disguised in a headscarf.

Her connections to Scotland go back to her childhood, when a family holiday to Portvoller on the Isle of Lewis ignited her lifelong passion for lighthouses. A patron of the Northern Lighthouse Board for 30 years, Scotland and its coastline is the ultimate destination for this keen pharologist who is more than happy to leap off boats in full waterproofs to reach her destination.

Since 1986, she has attended Murrayfield every season as patron of the Scottish Rugby Union. It is a role that helps keeps her connected to Scotland and, arguably, Scotland connected to her.