Who is Peter Phillips? He has no title and has to earn money like the rest of us (well, almost). But Princess Anne’s eldest child is a key figure in the Royal Family and accompanied the coffin of Queen Elizabeth
- Peter Phillips, the late Queen Elizabeth’s eldest grandchild, turns 46 today
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We see comparatively little of him, but Peter Phillips holds the distinction of being the eldest of the late Queen Elizabeth’s eight grandchildren.
Peter, who turns 46 today, is the son of Princess Anne and her first husband, Captain Mark Phillips and the elder brother of Zara, 42.
In contrast with their cousins, neither Peter nor Zara has a title – which is said to be in line with Princess Anne’s wish for her children to have had as normal a life as possible.
While Zara has followed their parents in making a name for herself a leading equestrian, Peter has immersed himself in a series of business ventures – not without the occasional controversy.
Peter Phillips pictured in the grounds of Gatcombe Park, Gloucestershire, home to his mother Princess Anne and her extended family
Queen Elizabeth II with Princess Anne and her first grandchild, Peter, as they pose for a photograph in November 1977 at Balmoral
Peter Phillips with his mother and grandmother during a family trip to Balmoral in 1979
Peter was fifth in the order of succession when he was born but has moved steadily down the line as Prince Edward and Prince Andrew had families of their own.
All the same, the 46-year-old is a central figure in the Windsor family and played an important role in the funerals of both his late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, and his grandfather the Duke of Edinburgh.
He walked alongside his cousins, Prince William and Prince Harry, behind Her Majesty’s coffin through the streets of London in September.
Peter’s younger sister Zara Phillips Tindall arrived in May 1981. He also has two half-sisters, Stephanie Phillips and Felicity Tonkin, the other children of Mark Phillips.
READ MORE: Now Peter Phillips cancels his plans for an ice rink at Kensington Palace!
Both Peter and Zara grew up spending a lot of time with their cousins, Prince William and Prince Harry.
Peter attended Port Regis Prep School in Shaftesbury before later attending Gordonstoun in Scotland.
It was this school where his grandfather the Duke of Edinburgh and his uncles King Charles III, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward attended.
After school, Peter spent time travelling in Sydney and worked for former motor racer Jackie Stewart, who was a friend of Princess Anne and a part of the Queen’s inner circle, as a part of the F1 racing team.
Peter later studied Sports Science degree and played varsity rugby at Exeter University.
He secured a job in hospitality management at Jaguar Land Rover, before moving to Williams racing team as a sponsorship account manager.
Peter met his future wife, Canadian-born Autumn Kelly, at the 2003 Canadian Grand Prix, while Peter was working for Williams F1.
Queen Elizabeth II at Port Regis School in Shaftesbury, Dorset, where her grandson Peter was a pupil in February 1991
Peter sitting in the cab of a fire engine at Gordonstoun School in Elgin, Scotland, in May 1990
The young royal pictured acting as captain for his school’s rugby team during a tournament in Roehampton, Surrey
Princes Harry and William and Peter pictured laughing with Sophie and Prince Edward, Duke and Duchess of Sussex, during celebrations for Queen Elizabeth’s Golden Jubilee in June 2002
He left the world of racing in September 2005, for a job as a manager at the Royal Bank of Scotland in Edinburgh.
Two years later, in July 2007, Peter and Autumn announced their engagement and they married in May 2008, at St George’s Chapel, Windsor.
In December 2010, Autumn gave birth to the Queen’s first great-grandchild, Savannah – followed in March 2012 by the couple’s second daughter, Isla.
After 14 years together, the couple confirmed the news they had separated in February 2020. Their divorce was finalised 16 months later, in June 2021.
Their statement read as follows: ‘After informing HM The Queen and members of both families last year, Peter and Autumn jointly agreed to separate. They had reached the conclusion that this was the best course of action for their two children and ongoing friendship.
‘Both families were naturally sad at the announcement, but fully supportive of Peter and Autumn in the joint decision to co parent their children. Both Peter and Autumn will remain in Gloucestershire to bring up their two children where they have been settled for a number of years.’
Peter Phillips and Autumn Kelly pictured as they leave St George’s Chapel in Windsor on May 17, 2008 after their wedding ceremony
The father-of-two with his daughters, Savannah and Isla Phillips at the Memorial service for The Duke Of Edinburgh at Westminster Abbey in March 2022
Peter gives daughter Isla a piggyback at the 2019 Festival of British Eventing at Gatcombe Park in August 2019
He has since found love again with Lindsay Wallace, an old school pal from his days at £40,000-a-year Gordonstoun.
The pair were photographed together for the first when Lindsay joined Peter at the double royal christening of August Brooksbank and Lucas Tindall in November 2021.
The seriousness of their relationship was made clear when Ms Wallace joined her royal beau at three separate Platinum Jubilee events last year: the Epsom Derby, the Platinum Party and the Platinum Pageant.
And most recently, the pair were pictured smiling together at the Coronation concert in May while they watched on from the royal box in the grounds of the Windsor Estate.
Peter is not a ‘working royal’ and receives no state support. He has recently returned to F1 as head of partner acquisition for the sports and entertainment rights agency CSM Sport & Entertainment.
But in 2020, Peter had turned to other means to raise funds, deploying his royal status to sell Jersey-produced milk in China.
In a television advert for Bright Dairies, shown on the country’s Dragon TV, Peter was seen being brought a glass of milk by a butler.
‘This is what I drink,’ he says against a tagline reading: ‘British royal family member, Peter Phillips.’
The episode raised eyebrows.
Lindsay Wallace and Peter at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in July 2022. Behind them sits the late broadcaster Michael Parkinson, who died in August, and his wife, Mary
Anne, Princess Royal, Peter and Zara Phillips view the flowers left by mourners outside Balmoral Castle following the death of the Queen in September 2020
The son of Princess Anne was paid £750,000 for a two-year ‘commercial services contract’ to organise the Queen’s 90th birthday street party.
Those who were looking to attend the picnic lunch in the Mall to celebrate the Queen’s birthday had to pay £150 a head, a price tag that her grandson Peter defended.
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