Peter Phillips, is the son of Princess Anne and the eldest grandson of the late Queen Elizabeth II, so many may think that Peter should have some royal title.
In reality, this is not the case. Peter Mark Andrew Phillips’ royal titles are non-existent despite being the eldest son of Princess Anne, hence the first grandson of Elizabeth II.
Article summary
Who is Peter Phillips, how many children does he have and who is his wife?
Peter was born on November 15, 1977. The firstborn of Princess Anne and Mark Phillips, he was fifth in line to the British throne at birth. At the time, a 41-gun salute was fired from the Tower of London to celebrate his birth.
He was the first grandson of the Queen to marry. In 2008 he married Autumn Kelly with whom he had two daughters; Savannah Anne (2010) and Isla Elizabeth (2012). Unfortunately the couple stopped living together in 2019 and in 2020 they announced their divorce.
Peter fell in the line of succession when Prince William was born in 1982. Today, the man, 44, ranks 17th in line to the throne, behind his mother, Princess Anne.
He is currently in a relationship since 2021 with his wife Lindsay Wallace, 42, daughter of a wealthy oil businessman and mother of two daughters from his previous marriage.
What happened to Peter Phillips’ royal titles?
The eldest grandson of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, he has no title and simply uses his father’s surname, Mark Phillips. He became the first legitimate grandson of a monarch in more than 500 years to be born without a title.
Traditionally, only the children of the monarch’s children receive titles, but it is believed that the Queen made an exception for her only daughter and offered a title to her first grandchild. However, Peter’s parents did not accept it.
Peter’s father, Mark, had already turned down an offer for a royal title offered to him after his marriage to Princess Anne in 1973.
Peter’s younger sister Zara Tindall, who is married to former rugby player Mark Tindall, also did not get a title.
In an interview with Vanity Fair magazine to celebrate Princess Anne’s 70th birthday, she explained that she believes not giving Peter and Zara titles “was probably the right thing to do.”
“I think it was probably easier for them, and I think most people would say that having titles has disadvantages.”
But Princess Anne is not the only one of the queen’s children who opted not to give her children royal titles.
The marriage of the queen’s youngest son, Prince Edward, and his wife Sophia, Countess of Wessex, have two children, Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn. The couple decided that their children would not receive the titles Prince and Princess.
Edward himself declined an older title, a dukedom, from the queen when he married Sophia in 1999. Instead, the couple became the Earl and Countess of Wessex.
What medals does Peter Phillips have?
Peter has received from Queen Elizabeth II three honorary distinctions:
- Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Commemorative Medal (2002).
- Medal commemorating the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II (2012).
- Medal commemorating the Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II (2022).
