anne first met her future husband mark phillips at a party for horse lovers in 1968. princess anne had been a keen fan of horses for most of her life and they bonded over that. she was bbc sports personality of the year in 1971. phillips later went on to win an equestrian gold medal at the munich olympics in 1972. their engagement was announced on 29 may 1973. phillips presented anne with a garrard engagement ring made from sapphire and diamond.