Peter Mark Andrew Phillips (born 15 November 1977) is a British businessman. He is the son of Anne, Princess Royal, and Captain Mark Phillips, the eldest grandchild of Queen Elizabeth II, and a nephew of King Charles III. At the time of his birth, he was 5th in the line of succession to the British throne; as of August 2024, he is 17th.
Peter Phillips | |
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![]() Phillips in 2022 | |
Born | St Mary's Hospital, London, England | 15 November 1977
Alma mater | University of Exeter |
Spouse | |
Children | 2 |
Parents |
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Phillips attended the University of Exeter before working at Jaguar Racing. He is a managing director for SEL UK, a boutique sports management company. He married Autumn Kelly, a Canadian management consultant, in 2008 in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. They have two children together, separated in 2019, and divorced in 2021.
Early life and education
editPeter Phillips was born at 10:46 am on 15 November 1977, in the Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital, London.[1][2] He was the first child of Princess Anne and Mark Phillips, who had married in 1973.[2] At the time of his birth, there was a 41-gun salute from the Tower of London.[2] He was baptised on 22 December 1977 by the Archbishop of Canterbury Donald Coggan in the Music Room of Buckingham Palace.[3] His godparents were his maternal uncle, Prince Charles; Geoffrey Tiarks; Captain Hamish Lochore; Lady Cecil Cameron of Lochiel and Jane Holderness-Roddam.[4]
Phillips was fifth in line to the throne at birth and remained so until the birth of his cousin Prince William in 1982. His parents were said to have refused offers from his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II that would have led to his being born in the peerage. Phillips was the first legitimate grandchild of a monarch in more than 500 years to be born without a title or courtesy title.[2][5] Phillips has a younger sister, Zara Tindall (née Phillips; born 1981), and two younger half-sisters, Felicity Wade (née Tonkin; born 1985),[6] the daughter of Mark Phillips and his former mistress Heather Tonkin; and Stephanie Phillips (born 1997), the daughter from his father's second marriage to Sandy Pflueger.
Phillips went to Port Regis Prep School in Shaftesbury, Dorset before following some of his family by attending Gordonstoun School in Moray, Scotland. Whilst at Gordonstoun, he was chosen to be head boy.[7] During his gap year, he went to Sydney and worked for Sports Entertainment Limited (SEL), a company to which he would later return; he also worked for Jackie Stewart's Formula One racing team during that time.[8] Phillips represented Scotland at rugby union at youth and junior level in the mid-1990s.[9]
He attended the University of Exeter and graduated with a degree in Sports Science.[10] He played for the Exeter University rugby league team.
Career
editAfter his graduation in 2000, Phillips worked for Jaguar as corporate hospitality manager and then for Williams racing team, where he was sponsorship accounts manager.[7][10][11] He left Williams in September 2005, for a job as a manager at the Royal Bank of Scotland in Edinburgh.[10] In March 2012, he left RBS to take on a role as managing director at SEL UK.[12]
In August 2012, he was guest of honour at the Rugby league Challenge Cup Final between Warrington Wolves and Leeds Rhinos at Wembley.[13]
In the year leading up to June 2016, Phillips was responsible for organising the "Patron's Lunch", in celebration of the Queen's 90th birthday. It included a parade down The Mall and a hamper picnic for 10,000 guests.[14]
In January 2020, Phillips appeared in an advertisement for Chinese company Bright Food. In the video, he uses his status as a "British royal family member" to promote the company's milk, while surrounded by luxury.[15]
Personal life
editPhillips dated Elizabeth Lorio, a cod liver oil heiress from the United States, for two years. In 2001 they lived together for eight months.[16] Later, he had a four-month relationship with Tara Swain, a flight attendant.[17]
In 2003, Phillips met Autumn Kelly, a Canadian management consultant, at the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal.[7] Their engagement was announced on 28 July 2007.[10][16][19]
Kelly, who was raised in the Catholic Church, was received into the Church of England before her marriage. If she had been Roman Catholic at the time of the marriage, Phillips would have lost his place in the line of the succession to the throne because of since-repealed[20] terms of the Act of Settlement 1701.[21][22][23] Shortly before their wedding, the couple were interviewed and photographed by Hello! magazine, and were reported to have been paid £500,000, resulting in some concern in royal circles.[24][25][26] They married on 17 May 2008 at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle.[26][27] The service was conducted by David Conner, the Dean of Windsor.[28] The couple lived in Hong Kong after Phillips changed positions within the Royal Bank of Scotland and became head of their sponsorships activities in the region.[29]
Their first child, and the Queen's first great-grandchild, a daughter named Savannah Anne Kathleen, was born on 29 December 2010 at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital.[30][31][32] The Queen was present for the baby's baptism, which took place on 23 April 2011 at Church of the Holy Cross in Avening, Gloucestershire, near Gatcombe Park, the home of Phillips' mother. Savannah was born 12th in the line to the throne and is now 19th.[33] On 29 March 2012, the couple's second daughter, Isla Elizabeth, was born at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital. She was born 13th in the line to the throne and is now 20th.[34]
On 11 February 2020, Phillips and his wife confirmed that they had separated in 2019 and announced they were planning to divorce.[35][36] The divorce was settled on 14 June 2021.[37]
After his divorce, Phillips began a relationship with Lindsay Wallace in 2021, with whom he made his official debut as a couple at the Epsom Derby in June 2022.[38] The two ended their relationship in 2024.[39]
On 17 September 2022, during the period of official mourning for Queen Elizabeth II, Phillips joined his sister and six cousins to mount a 15-minute vigil around the coffin of their grandmother as it lay in state at Westminster Hall.[40] On 19 September 2022, he joined the Queen's children and other senior members of the royal family in walking behind the cortege in the state funeral procession.[41]
By June 2024, Phillips had introduced King Charles and Queen Camilla to his partner, NHS paediatric nurse and freelance writer Harriet Sperling (née Sanders), great-great niece of Raymond Courage, Lord of the Manor of Edgcote.[42]
Honours
edit- 6 February 2002: Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal[43]
- 6 February 2012: Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal[43]
- 6 February 2022: Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal[43]
- 6 May 2023: King Charles III Coronation Medal
Arms
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References
edit- ^ "No. 47380". The London Gazette. 16 November 1977. p. 14415.
- ^ a b c d "1977: Princess Anne gives birth to Master Phillips". BBC News. 15 November 1977. Archived from the original on 16 April 2006. Retrieved 9 August 2006.
- ^ "The Princess Royal: Marriage and Family". The British Monarchy. Archived from the original on 30 June 2007.
- ^ "Buckingham Palace Press Release". The British Monarchy. 8 April 2004. Archived from the original on 20 October 2013.
- ^ Before him the last grandchildren born without any title or style were the children of Cecily of York, the daughter of King Edward IV of England.
- ^ "Zara Tindall's 'secret' nephew born in NZ". The New Zealand Herald. 20 August 2017. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
Wade, former Tonkin, is the daughter of Mark Phillips - also father to Queen Elizabeth's grandchildren Zara Tindall and her brother Peter Phillips.
- ^ a b c "Profile – Peter Phillips". Hello!. July 2001. Archived from the original on 3 November 2006. Retrieved 9 August 2006.
- ^ Knightley, Emma (14 November 2017). Coco, Tatiana (ed.). Peter Phillips: The Life of the First-Born Grandson of Queen Elizabeth II (Kindle). Archived from the original on 9 December 2018. Retrieved 9 December 2018.
- ^ "Rugby cap for Peter Phillips". The Herald. 29 November 1995. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
- ^ a b c d "Princess Anne's son set to marry". BBC News. 28 July 2007. Archived from the original on 8 August 2007. Retrieved 28 July 2007.
- ^ "Peter Phillips Profile". Royal Jubbly. Archived from the original on 23 December 2012.
- ^ "Peter Phillips". LinkedIn. 15 July 2012.
- ^ "Cup to get Royal seal of approval" (Press release). Rugby Football League. 20 August 2012. Archived from the original on 21 August 2012. Retrieved 20 August 2012.
- ^ Tominey, Camilla (5 June 2016). "My street party for Granny (aka The Queen)". Daily Express. London. Archived from the original on 12 September 2017. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
- ^ Taylor, Rebecca (21 January 2020). "Queen's grandson Peter Phillips flogs royal connections in Chinese milk ad". Sky News. Archived from the original on 21 January 2020. Retrieved 21 January 2020.
- ^ a b Clout, Laura (30 July 2007). "Publicity-shy Peter to be Queen's first grandchild to wed". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 23 December 2007. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
- ^ "So who should William woo?". The Scotsman. Edinburgh. 7 May 2003. Archived from the original on 17 September 2007.
- ^ "No. 58674". The London Gazette. 21 April 2008. pp. 6077–6078.
- ^ As required by the Royal Marriages Act 1772, wherein descendants of George II have to seek permission from the sovereign to marry, Phillips asked for permission, and The Queen gave her consent to the marriage in a meeting of her Privy Council on 9 April 2008.[18]
- ^ "Succession to the Crown Act 2013, Section 2".
- ^ Petre, Jonathan (3 August 2007). "A royal marriage dilemma – Phillips may renounce succession". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 25 February 2008. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
- ^ Pierce, Andrew (1 May 2008). "Peter's fiancée converts to save succession". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 11 December 2008. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
- ^ "Royal fiancee changes her faith". BBC News. 1 May 2008. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
- ^ Pierce, Andrew (22 May 2008). "Queen halts celebrity magazine deals after Peter Phillips - Autumn Kelly Hello! wedding". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 11 December 2015. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
- ^ Pierce, Andrew (17 May 2008). "Autumn Kelly, Peter Phillip's fiance". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 10 February 2009. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
- ^ a b "Royal marries in Windsor wedding". BBC News. 17 May 2008. Archived from the original on 18 May 2008. Retrieved 17 May 2008.
- ^ Daniela, Relph (18 May 2008). "A thoroughly modern royal wedding". BBC News. Archived from the original on 10 December 2015. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
- ^ Pierce, Andrew (17 May 2008). "Queen will meet Prince Harry's girlfriend Chelsy Davy at Peter Phillips wedding". BBC News. Archived from the original on 11 December 2008. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
- ^ Sudhaman, Arun (20 August 2008). "Phillips to lead RBS regional sponsorship". brandrepublic.asia. Archived from the original on 1 December 2008.
- ^ "Mrs Peter Phillips has given birth to a baby girl, 30 December 2010". British Monarchy. 30 December 2010. Archived from the original on 30 December 2010.
- ^ "First Great-grandchild for Queen". BBC News. 30 December 2010. Archived from the original on 22 June 2018. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
- ^ The Rough Guide to the Royals. Penguin Books. 2012. ISBN 978-1-4093-6010-0. Retrieved 19 April 2020.
- ^ Palmer, Richard (26 April 2011). "Royal Wedding: Before the big event, a christening". Daily Express. London. Archived from the original on 29 April 2011. Retrieved 26 May 2011.
- ^ "Queen a great-grandmother again". ITV News. 30 March 2012. Archived from the original on 25 April 2018. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
- ^ Ellery, Ben (11 February 2020). "Queen's grandson Peter Phillips 'to split from his wife' after 12 years". The Times. London. Archived from the original on 12 February 2020. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
- ^ Clifford, John (11 February 2020). "Queen's grandson and his wife to divorce". BBC News. Archived from the original on 11 February 2020.
- ^ Gallagher, Sophie (14 June 2021). "Divorce settled for Princess Anne's son Peter Phillips and Autumn Phillips". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 26 May 2022. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
- ^ Tominey, Camilla (4 June 2022). "Peter Phillips steps out in public with his new girlfriend Lindsay Wallace at the Epsom Derby". The Telegraph. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
- ^ Smith, Joe (9 April 2024). "Princess Anne's son and Queen's 'favourite grandson' in fresh heartache after split from girlfriend". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
- ^ McCrum, Kirstie (17 September 2022). "Queen's grandchildren stand solemn vigil in Westminster Hall". walesonline.co.uk. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
- ^ "Queen's funeral: Full guide to the gun carriage and the main procession". BBC News. 19 September 2022. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
- ^ Ward, Victoria (22 June 2024). "Aristocratic roots of Peter Phillips' NHS nurse girlfriend revealed". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
- ^ a b c "Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee 2022 - National Service of Thanksgiving". Getty Images. 3 June 2022. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
- ^ a b "News & Views". The Heraldry Gazette (57): 17. March 1974.
- ^ a b Sovereign: a celebration of forty years of service. London: Collins and Brown. 1992. p. 14. ISBN 978-1-8558-5116-0.
- ^ "Styles of the members of the British royal family Documents". Heraldica. Archived from the original on 30 November 2021. Retrieved 7 December 2021.