Princess Anne’s son Peter Phillips and his wife Autumn have announced in a statement that they will be separating, following a decision which was made “jointly” last year.
The couple, who will be splitting after twelve years of marriage, said the decision to separate is “best course of action for their two children and ongoing friendship.”
It read, “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.”
“The decision to divorce and share custody came about after many months of discussions and although sad, is an amicable one,” it continued.
They also said they plan to “co-parent” their two children Susannah and Isla.
The pair have also been seen throughout the years at Royal Ascot, attending alongside their daughters. While the couple have spent time in Hong Kong together, they have since been living in Gloucestershire for a number of years according to their joint statement.
The Telegraph reports that they live on Princess Anne’s Gatcombe Estate, near Peter’s sister Zara and husband Mike Tindall.
For a look back on their relationship, as well as their beautiful Windsor wedding - here’s everything to know about the couple's relationship.
Who is Peter Phillips?
Peter is the 42-year-old son of Princess Anne and Mark Phillips, as well as Queen Elizabeth and Duke of Edinburgh’s great grandchild. He is currently 15th in line to the throne.
He is not a working royal and has previously worked with the likes of Jaguar and the Royal Bank of Scotland in Hong Kong. He now runs his own sports and event management company, which was reportedly paid £750,000 for an event to celebrate Queen Elizabeth's birthday according to the Telegraph. He also made headlines when it emerged that he featured in an advertisement for Chinese-state owned dairy farm Bright Dairies, in which he is described as a 'British Royal Family member'.
In the advert, he recalled his childhood with the Royal Family drinking milk from Jersey cattle at Windsor and talked about the milk had a "fantastic reputation all over China and outside of China as well".
Who is Autumn Phillips?
Autumn is a Canadian management consultant, who previously worked as a model and bartender. She is 41 years old.
She graduated from McGill University in Montreal with a degree in East Asian studies. She later gave up her faith as a Roman Catholic and converted so Peter could keep his place in the line of succession.
How many children do they have?
Autumn and Peter have two children: Savannah Phillips and Isla Phillips. Savannah is the Queen’s oldest great grandchild and is 9 years old, while Isla is 7 years old.
In their split statement, they said, “The couple’s first priority will remain the continued well being and upbringing of their wonderful daughters Savannah and Isla. 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 have remained in Gloucestershire to bring up their two children where they have been settled for a number of years,” she said. “Peter and Autumn have requested privacy and compassion for their children while the family continues to adapt to these changes.”
How did they meet?
The pair met at the 2003 Montreal Grand Prix, though Autumn did not initially know Peter was a member of the Royal Family.
According to Hello, she didn’t realise until six weeks into their relationship and she said, “Mum said 'Oh Autumn! What have you gotten yourself into?'”
Peter said that their meeting was “fate” and proposed years later. Autumn told the Telegraph, “I certainly didn’t see the question coming. I looked horrible in my wellies with wet hair. I said yes straight away though.”
When did Autumn and Peter Phillips get married?
The Phillips were married on May 17, 2008. Like their relatives Princess Beatrice and Prince Harry, they tied the knot in St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle.
300 guests attended the wedding, including 70 of Autumn’s family and friends who had flown in from Canada. Peter’s mother, Princess Anne, loaned her a tiara and Autumn wore a Sassi Holford bespoke gown, along with a pearl and diamond necklace given to her by Peter.
At the time, Autumn told Hello!, “I was frightened of walking down the aisle. But when I got to the top of the stairs and saw how many of our friends and family had turned out to support us, I stopped being scared and actually enjoyed it.”
Peter’s sister, Zara Phillips, was also a bridesmaid on the day. She said, “Obviously I wouldn’t have missed this for the world.”
Many members of the Royal Family attended, including Queen Elizabeth, the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Harry, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie and Kate Middleton, who at the time was not yet married to Prince William.
Prince William couldn’t attend the wedding as he was travelling in Kenya.
Princess Eugenie is also said to have read William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 116, which describes love as something that “looks on tempests and is never shaken.”
The Queen also granted the couple permission to host a reception in Frogmore House and were taken there in a carriage.
At the time, they drew controversy as they reportedly sold their wedding photos to Hello! Magazine for £500,000 according to the Telegraph with aides saying that ‘the Queen was not happy with the decision.’
