Acting Captain Mark Anthony Peter Phillips, husband (at the time) of Princess Anne, sits in the driver’s station of a FV101 Scorpion Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked) (CVR(T)). The Associated Press photograph was taken January 7, 1974, under one year after the Scorpion entered service with the British Army. Phillips, an officer in 1st. The Queen's Dragoon Guards, was test driving the new Scorpion at the Driving and Maintenance School housed in Bovington, England.
Not much of the Scorpion can be seen outside of the barrel of the low velocity 76mm L23A1 gun and the coaxial 7.62mm machine-gun along with a bank of smoke grenade dischargers. The Scorpion remained in active service with the British Army until 1994 when they were withdrawn from front line use and currently, they are utilized for training. The Scorpion also saw much success as an exported weapon system with some 17 countries still actively utilizing the vehicle. The chassis of the Scorpion was also the basis for several derivative vehicles to include the FV103 Spartan APC (armored personnel carrier), FV104 Samaritan armored ambulance, and FV106 Samson recovery vehicle among others. Many of these remain in service with the British Army as well as with export customers. The Scorpion would see combat during the Falklands War (deployed with elements from the Blues and Royals cavalry regiment) and also the Gulf War (with 1st. The Queen's Dragoon Guards).
As for Phillips, after graduating from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in July 1969 and in short order, attained the rank of Lieutenant in January 1971. By the time this photograph was taken, Phillips had married Princess Anne (in November 1973) and was appointed personal aide-de-camp to Queen Elizabeth II. He attained the rank of Captain in July 1975 and would retire from the Army on March 30, 1978.
Phillips, an accomplished equestrian, remains involved in the sport to this day.
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