by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Peter Phillips; photo: The Times/Getty Images

Peter Phillips is the eldest child of The Princess Royal and the eldest grandchild of Queen Elizabeth II. Although he does not hold any royal titles, he is still very much a part of the British Royal Family.

Peter with his sister Zara, 1982. photo: Parent Dish/PA

Peter Mark Andrew Phillips was born on November 15, 1977, at St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, London, England. He is the first child of Princess Anne, The Princess Royal and Captain Mark Phillips and the first grandchild of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. At the time of his parents’ marriage, it is believed that his father was offered a peerage but declined. Therefore, Peter and his younger sister Zara do not have any titles or styles.

Peter has one sibling:

• Zara Phillips (born 1981), married Mike Tindall, had two daughters and one son

Peter was christened in the Music Room at Buckingham Palace on December 22, 1977, by the Archbishop of Canterbury.  His godparents are:

• The Prince of Wales (his paternal uncle)
• The Right Reverend Geoffrey Tiarks
• Captain Hamish Lochore, an equestrian colleague of his parents
• Lady Cecil Cameron of Lochiel
• Jane Holderness-Roddam, an equestrian colleague of his parents

Peter attended Port Regis Prep School in Dorset and following in the footsteps of his grandfather and uncles, attended Gordonstoun School in Scotland. He then enrolled at the University of Exeter, graduating in 2000 with a degree in sports science.

An avid sportsman, his career has been spent working in the area of sport and sporting events. After two years as an account manager for Jaguar, and another two years with WilliamsF1, Peter took a job as Head of Global Sponsorships, Global Banking, and Markets, for the Royal Bank of Scotland in 2005. In 2012, he left RBS to become Managing Director of SEL UK. He is also involved, along with his father, in coordinating the annual Festival of British Eventing, held each year at Gatcombe Park, his mother’s estate in Gloucestershire.

Peter Phillips and Autumn Kelly on their wedding day; photo: Hello!

In 2003, at the Canadian Grand Prix, in Montreal, he met his future wife, Autumn Kelly. She soon moved to the United Kingdom and the couple lived together at his apartment in Kensington, and a cottage on his mother’s Gatcombe Park estate. Their engagement was announced on July 28, 2007. They married on May 17, 2008, at St George’s Chapel, Windsor. A reception followed at Frogmore House. He was the first of The Queen’s grandchildren to marry. The couple caused some controversy when they were allegedly paid £500,000 by Hello! magazine for an interview and wedding photos. The couple resided in Hong Kong, where Peter was working for the Royal Bank of Scotland, before returning to England in 2010.

Peter and Autumn have two daughters, both born at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital. They were the first two great-grandchildren of Queen Elizabeth II, and both have dual citizenship, making them the first Canadians in the line of succession to the British throne.

• • Savannah Anna Kathleen Phillips (born 2010)
  • Isla Elizabeth Phillips (born 2012)

On February 11, 2020, Peter and Autumn Phillips announced they intended to divorce. They had separated in 2019. A statement said, in part: “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.”

The divorce of Peter and Autumn Phillips became final on June 14, 2021. The statement on behalf of the couple read: “Mr. Peter Phillips and Mrs. Autumn Phillips are pleased to be able to report that the financial aspects of their divorce have been resolved through agreement, the terms of which have been approved and ordered by the High Court today. Whilst this is a sad day for Peter and Autumn, they continue to put the wellbeing and upbringing of their wonderful daughters Savannah and Isla first and foremost. Both Peter and Autumn are pleased to have resolved matters amicably with the children firmly at the forefront of those thoughts and decisions. Peter & Autumn have requested privacy and consideration for their children as the family adapts to a new chapter in their lives.”

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