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Princess Anne's birthday: Read our gift guide for 70-year-olds
We've got the inspiration for presents they'll really love to receive
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Your support makes all the difference.This Saturday, 15 August, marks princess Anne’s 70th birthday.
Ahead of the celebrations, the Royal Family's official Instagram account has been posting a series of photographs of the princess’ life, focusing on a different decade of her life and what she’s achieved.
In a look back over the past 70 years, notable memories include her patronage of more than 300 charities, her interest in sport, agriculture and animals, sailing and the military, alongside her many royal engagements.
There has also been an ITV documentary made to honour her birthday, Anne: The Princess Royal At 70, which aired on 29 July, but is still available to watch on the ITV hub.
It includes interviews with her children, Zara and Peter and looks at how she’s coped in lockdown and her work.
She has also found fans from her portrayal in the popular Nextlfix series, The Crown, as her character, played by actress Erin Doherty, for her sharp wit, dry opinions and big hair.
Of course, not everyone will have documentaries or a series of official photographs released to mark their milestone birthdays, and finding suitable gifts for people this age can sometimes be quite hard.
So if there’s someone in your life who has a 70th birthday coming up, we’ve created a gift guide for idea inspiration. From food to fragrance, these are our top picks.
You can trust our independent round-ups. We may earn commission from some of the retailers, but we never allow this to influence selections. This revenue helps us to fund journalism across The Independent.
Perfume
The Hermès calèche eau de toilette (John Lewis & Partners, £77) is reportedly the royal’s favourite fragrance, so if it has the royal stamp of approval, it’s definitely going in the shopping basket.
Created in 1961 by Guy Robert, it was the first female fragrance from Hermès and boasts notes of ylang-ylang, rose and jasmine.
Champagne
Reaching an eighth decade should be toasted with a glass of bubbly, especially with this Veuve Clicquot brut champagne (Selfridges, £59).
You can also have the tin personalised with the recipient's name, nickname or birthday date for an extra special finishing touch to make it a keepsake.
Food hamper
Treat them to this lavish Fortnum & Mason the birthday hamper (Fortnum & Mason, £100) that’s packed with indulgent goodies you can all share.
In it you’ll find birthday biscuits, Royal blend tea, golden raspberry preserve, marmalade and honey preserve, sea salted caramel truffles and birthday fruit cake.
Afternoon tea
Invite friends round for a quintessentially British afternoon tea and feast on all the classic treats, from scones to sandwiches.
We love this cream tea gift box (Gail’s, £26) which will feed two, or four, depending on how hungry you are.
It includes four scones, clotted cream, strawberry jam, lemon curd, strawberries and loose-leaf tea.
Flowers
A beautiful bouquet is a no-brainer gift (and also very easy), espeically if you won’t be seeing them on the day. We’d recommend opting for letterbox flowers to ensure safe delivery.
Our favourite is The Felicity (Bloom & Wild, £32), a colourful mix of purple lisianthus blooms and yellow roses, that will brighten up any room.
Wall art
Similarly to how the royal family is reflecting on princess Anne’s life, you can take the opportunity to put some of your recipient’s achievements into this: your memories personalised timeline print (Not On The High Street, £14.95).
From their date of birth, accomplishments at work, marriage, kids or retirement, you can completely customise it for a personal touch.
Personalised notebook
If they have grand retirement plans to travel or take up a new hobby, or just love good stationery, this botanicals notebook & planner set (Papier, £33.15) is perfect for keeping them organised.
They’re both hardback and come in a pretty Papier sleeve, plus you can personalise each design with a thoughtful message.
Tea set
For tea lovers, this zoloto China tea for two tea set (Oliver Bonas, £32.50) will make a sweet decorating for their countertop come teatime.
It neatly stacks on top of each other, so it won’t take up much room, and the floral print with a touch of gold adds a luxurious feel.