Everything To Know About Queen Elizabeth II's Favorite Grandson: From Milk Ads In China To Divorce

May 10, 2021 by apost team

The eldest grandchild of Queen Elizabeth II, Peter Phillips is the son of Princess Anne and her first husband Captain Mark Phillips. Born on Nov. 15, 1977, at St Mary's Hospital in London, like his younger sister Zara Tindall (née Phillips), who is 39, Peter has never held a royal title. This is due to the fact that titles are passed through the male line and since his father doesn't have one, he and Tindall did not inherit one either. As well as Tindall, Peter has two younger half-sisters through his father, both from different mothers — Felicity Wade and Stephanie Phillips.

Despite being the queen's first grandchild, Peter is now 17th in line to the throne. However, he is believed to be Her Majesty's "favorite" grandson, according to royal insiders, as reported by Mirror.

As he is not a working royal, Peter has had to work to earn a living for himself, and due to a wide array of jobs — everything from advertisements for milk to being a corporate hospitality manager — he's come under scrutiny for the ways he's made money in the past.

Peter was in the news recently when he walked between his cousins Prince Harry and Prince William during their grandfather Prince Philip's funeral in April. Now he's in the press once again, this time due to his upcoming divorce from his estranged wife Autumn Kelly. After being married for 12 years, the couple announced their decision to divorce in 2020, and they are now expected to head to court in order to reach a financial settlement. Let's take a look at the royal's life and everything there is to know about him. 

After meeting at the 2003 Canadian Grand Prix, Autumn Kelly, who is Canadian, moved to London to live with Peter Phillips in Kensington. The couple was married five years later at St George's Chapel, Windsor, in 2008, where the bride wore a gorgeous gown by designer Sassi Holford. Peter's sister Zara Tindall was one of five bridesmaids, while senior members of the royal family attended the nuptials.

But soon after their wedding, the couple were already in strife with the queen, after they sold photos from their special day to Hello! magazine for a reported £500,000. In the 59-page magazine spread, candid photos of guests including Kate Middleton and Prince Harry could be seen, prompting Buckingham Palace to declare the move "a serious error of judgment," as reported by Mirror.

The couple went on to live in Gloucestershire on Princess Anne's Gatcombe Park estate, where they began to raise their two children, 9-year-old Savannah and 7-year-old Isla. But after being married for 12 years, the couple announced their divorce in Feb. 2020. As reported by Mirror, a statement they issued at the time explained:

"They had reached the conclusion that this was the best course of action for their two children and ongoing friendship.

"The decision to divorce and share custody came about after many months of discussions and although sad, is an amicable one."

It went on to add that the couple's daughters are their first priority and that while members of both families were sad, they were "fully supportive of Peter and Autumn in the joint decision to co-parent their children." 

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At Prince Philip's funeral on Saturday, April 17, Prince Harry was seen reuniting with his elder brother Prince William, in what was believed to be the first time since Harry and Meghan Markle's bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey was released in March, therefore all eyes were on them to see how they would interact.

However, during the funeral cortege, Prince Harry and Prince William were separated by Peter, who is their cousin. One report suggested that William had requested it, while a friend of Harry's told the Daily Mail, "He's just doing what he's told and getting on with it."

But as the royal family members were seen walking, it appeared that Peter stood back during moments, which allowed the two brothers to be photographed together by the media. One royal commentator made mention of this and believed that whether he did so in order to honor hierarchy or simply so that the two brothers could be captured in a photo together, it was a moving moment that didn't go unnoticed. 

Vanity Fair's royal correspondent Katie Nicholl, said during BBC's coverage, as reported by the Daily Star:

"I noticed Peter Phillips, I know they were walking as a trio, but the way he just stood back. Whether that was something to do with hierarchy or just to enable that image of the two brothers I think will be incredibly touching for many people.”

Mirror reports that Peter is believed to be well respected by his cousins and that there are high hopes in the family that Prince William and Prince Harry's rift can be mended, and perhaps Peter will be to thank for that. 

After graduating with a sports science degree from the University of Exeter in 2000, Peter took a gap year in Sydney, Australia, where he worked for Sports Entertainment Limited (SEL), a company he'd return to one day. 

Following his return to the U.K., Peter worked for Jaguar as the corporate hospitality manager, before taking a role as the sponsorship accounts manager for the Williams Racing team, and later running the first global Formula One sponsorship program with the Royal Bank of Scotland. Then in 2012 he set up Sports & Entertainment UK Ltd with his friend and mentor James Erskine, and it's where he currently works as a managing director.

But although Peter mostly keeps a low profile, a TV advertisement he appeared in for Bright Food, a Chinese company, caused controversy in 2020. Advertising milk, Peter tells viewers in the ad that he's a member of the British royal family, as he's surrounded by luxury while accepting a glass of milk from a butler. 

Mirror reports that in a behind-the-scenes interview he talks about how he and other royals were "brought up" on Jersey milk and how it's a privilege to be involved in the "exciting new project" as it's brought to China. He goes on to discuss being fortunate enough to "travel extensively around the world" and how "one of the great experiences is sampling other cultures." He also describes Shanghai as "truly a multicultural city," revealing he's visited many times. 

Additionally, Peter's company SEL UK was reportedly paid £750,000 to plan the queen's 90th birthday street party in 2016, reports the Daily Mail. Peter is also listed as a director of companies City Racing Ltd and Fish Pond Ring Ltd and is a joint director of events firm Pheasant and Partridge Enterprises Ltd with his estranged wife.  

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