The lives of members of the British royal family, despite their remarkable popularity, are often shrouded in mystery and little-known facts that may surprise many.
A clear example of this is Princess Anne, who is recognized mainly for being the mother of her children, Peter Phillips, 46, and Zara Tindall, 43.
However, very few are aware of the story of Felicity Tonkin, a lesser-known aspect of her personal life.
Who is Felicity Tonkin, Anne’s Daughter?
Anne is currently married to Sir Tim Laurence, a former Royal Navy officer, whom she married in 1992. But before that, she was married to Mark Phillips, a prominent equestrian and father of her two children.
Princess Anne and Phillips joined their lives in 1973 but divorced in 1989. The decision to divorce was not in Anne’s plans, but everything changed when it was discovered that Phillips had had a daughter with a New Zealand art teacher named Heather Tonkin. Thus, Princess Anne became the stepmother of Felicity, who was born in 1985.
According to reports from media such as Express, Phillips initially suggested the idea of having an abortion and subsequently agreed to make monthly payments for the child’s support.
However, the relationship between Phillips and Tonkin was made public in 1991, and DNA tests confirmed that Felicity was indeed Mark Phillips’ daughter, as reported by Express.
Interestingly, it is noted that Felicity has never had the opportunity to meet her half-siblings, Zara and Peter. Despite this, these two are said to have a good relationship with Stephanie Phillips, their half-sister, who is the fruit of their father’s second marriage to Sandy Pflueger.
Paradoxically, Felicity Tonkin shares the same fascination for the equestrian world as her “British family”: she is an equine veterinarian and her husband is a polo player.
However, father and daughter have never had a good relationship, even though they have attended the same equestrian events as her father, such as a tournament in New Zealand in 1999 or when her husband competed in the Royal Windsor Cup in front of Queen Elizabeth II, but father and daughter have never spoken to each other.
Princess Anne’s life and her murky marital past reveal a more complex picture than is commonly perceived in the realm of the British royal family.
Felicity Tonkin’s existence is a reminder that even the most public figures can have personal histories full of unexpected twists and turns and little-disclosed aspects.