I do wonder if there’s another shoe to drop in the curious case of Peter and Autumn Phillips. On one side, it’s a very common story of a 40-something couple falling apart after years of marriage. On the other side, the lack of build-up around the sudden split is notable for these “almost royals,” the Queen’s first grandchild and his Canadian wife. I still maintain that in the British media’s rush to demonize the Duchess of Sussex, they ended up burying a lot of other interesting gossip about the royals and almost-royals. The story of Autumn and Peter’s split broke in The Sun, with a story by Kensington Palace-favorite Dan Wooten. Which is suspicious. Now other sources are trying to clean up the story or make it sound less dramatic. Some highlights from this Vanity Fair piece by Katie Nicholl:
Peter & Autumn’s split was a long time coming, Peter wasn’t blindsided: “This is something of a conscious uncoupling,” a family friend told Vanity Fair. “There is no acrimony, very sadly they have grown apart. The idea that Peter was blindsided isn’t correct. They have been having discussions about their marriage for some time and the family have been aware that things haven’t been going well since last autumn.”
Autumn will remain close to the royals: Those close family connections will continue, says the family friend. Autumn is close to Peter’s sister, Zara Tindall, and will continue to work with Zara’s husband Mike on his celebrity golfing events. “She sees Mike and Zara every day and that won’t change. They’re all very close,” the source said. “The family are sad but supportive of the situation. As for Peter and Autumn, they are taking it step by step.”
No quickie divorce: The couple has broken the news to their children, but for now continue to share a home as they work out the details of their separation. “At the moment they are still sharing the marital home in Gloucestershire and there are no plans for a quickie divorce, there’s no rush and there is no suggestion of Autumn going to Canada,” the family friend said. “Their home is here and the children are in schools here.”
The Queen is upset? The Phillips divorce is yet another blow to the Queen, who is said by the Sun to be “upset” by the news. If Peter and Autumn follow in the footsteps of the original conscious uncouplers, however, they might be a model for amicable divorce in the royal family—a process that’s famously gone much worse in years past.
It also seems notable that Peter and Autumn skipped the Queen’s pre-Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace in mid-December, and they also skipped out on Christmas at Sandringham, or at least they skipped the church-walk on Christmas day. No one knows if they did actually go to Sandringham at some point over the holiday. All of which leads me to believe that no, Peter was not blindsided, and that Peter and Autumn have been having problems for months. That being said, I’m not completely buying this “conscious uncoupling” version of things. The fact that they couldn’t even pull it together for appearance’s sake for a few hours over the Christmas holiday says to me that some sh-t will probably hit the fan, and some sh-t already hit the fan.
Photos courtesy of WENN, Avalon Red.
I have had a soft spot for him after reading about how supportive he was of his sister after her miscarriage. They seemed like a well-adjusted couple, and I wish them well. I have a feeling that they might try to work on their relationship.
I love her velvet coat in that first pic – thats all I really have to say.
I hope that someone steps in to stop you know who from chucking them under the bus to deflect from himself. Am sure there will be more leaks about them going forward.
I love her entire outfit in the top photo, but the coat…sigh.
Yes, I hope they’ve both got some loyal and gutsy people supporting them at this sad time.
I like her style and wish Kate would take more fun and cool risks like that. It’s eccentric aristocratic chic. But Peter seems to always look like a mafia member, his suits are poorly fitting and cheap looking fabric, the crotch is so low on some of them, it makes him look really short and stocky.
Harry left. The Yorks have the support of the Queen who is trying very hard to rehabilitate them. Jack and Louise are still children. That leaves Anne’s kids. Hopefully Anne will lay down the law with Charles and William.
Just came here solely to see if anyone knew what brand it is. I love velvet, the rayon/silk or cotton velvet fabric, not the 100%polyester etc. styles.
Wow, she is really stunning and has an interesting style. I especially like her outfit in the first picture.
I know we discussed this two days ago but Peter is much better looking than Normal Bill Cambridge.
Meh, he looks ferrety. Something seems off about him.
But I’m here for the Jamie Dornan background photo.
Not difficult, though, BTB…
He really is. He actually looks affable. He has those short windsor legs though, like Charles. Diana’s genes really served her sons well as far as body type.
Imo they look very similar…Peter has a weird square body, however…
I still believe the hit piece from Dan Wootton was some kind of warning shot to Autumn. I wonder if she’s the one that has already moved on with someone new.
The Daily Wail has been doing endless hatchet jobs on her tho (yes, I went there. To my shame I go BTL once a week. Then seek out the mental bleach and antiemetics). Working class, rough neighbourhood, hairdresser mother, weed smoking, Mean Girl.
The Wail is so written for women who hate women. They were even taking potshots at Autumn’s daughter Savannah – ‘well, it’s easy to see where she gets it from’
BLEERRRGH
Love your term, the Daily Wail. It’s so fitting, especially considering Brits don’t like whingers. On another gossip note, Tina Brown is writing a new book on the royals. Press release states it will pick up at Diana’s death and end at present day. Tina has got the writing chops and the sources and she is going to ‘bring it.’ Her book on Diana is considered one of the best out there. She stated that even she did not realize just how much had been going on in royal family until she studied it enough to agree to write this new book.
It will be one great book as Tina Brown is an expert researcher. I love Vanity Fair when she was the editor.
The Mouse That Roared II. Come on Tina!
The British media is already starting in on her. I hope she has a good support system and she get away from the uk
Right. I feel like these articles have something to do with where Autumn wants to live with her daughters. Why the character attacks by the media if this is supposed to be an amicable separation and divorce?
Well, many said on here that once the Sussexes had left, the Rabid Rota would have to be fed with some other royal blood. All those ‘stories’ that have been unimportant next to their desire to trash Meghan will now begin seeing the light of day.
I feel like somehow this explains the milk ads in China. That was really out of left field. All the minor Royals do shady consulting work and such. Zara has sponsors because she’s an athlete. Peter in a milk advertisement is just plain weird. How it factors in, I don’t know. Maybe he needs money or Autumn was the brains who used to shut that kind of thing down. It just feels like the two things are related somehow.
I had the same thoughts. Can’t pinpoint how they’re related but it certainly seems as though there must be a connection between the divorce and the milk ad.
I wonder if he got caught publicly cheating and then this separation thing is for him to “see the error of their ways” and to “realise the harm he caused his wife and kids” and then a year or so later they’ll get back together hence why they aren’t in any rush and why they didn’t think to release a statement (I know I and the palace have said it’s because their minor royals but royals much further down the line get statements about their weddings and divorces so the Queen’s grandson would have gotten one too.)
“This is something of a conscious uncoupling,” a family friend told Vanity Fair.
It seems the Paltrownavirus has spread overseas. For the love of humanity, won’t somebody create a vaccine?
Goopy is painful… but the concept is solid. There is no reason to fight once it’s been decided that it’s over. Why put yourself (or someone you at least once loved) through unnecessary misery?
At this point in my life I’ve been through both kinds of breakups and it really helps if you can at least be kind to & supportive of one another through the process.
Only twice have I had to outright dump someone and as necessary as it was, in a way it was also harder. (One of them was a gaslighter with anger issues. I wasn’t sticking around for that a moment longer. And even then I had to be civil enough to get through the move! I even helped paint. It was just easier.)
He really does have little stumpy legs.
Tinfoil hat on: I think Bill is leaking this. Wouldn’t be surprised if Anne is getting all Mama bear about the leaks. Over the years she has been kind of off limits for Charles leaks ( correct me if I’m wrong about that). I wouldn’t be surprised if she does some maneuvers to stop the leaks. For Peter and Autumn and especially her granddaughters sakes she would probably prefer little publicity around the divorce. I bet she’s got good game too. Remember she fought off attackers when she was young. I would love to be a fly on the wall when she comes at Willy loaded for bear……
Yeah, JumpingtheShark. Anne is the one member of the royal family still standing who knows how to kick ass and take names. She is very much Phillip’s daughter when it comes to personality.
Supposedly Ann told Diana there weren’t many leaks until she joined the family. Then stated the leaks would come back to haunt her.
Sad they seemed like a stable couple. Hope they can keep things civil and out of the press.
He’s very handsome. Reminds me so much of my ex-husband.
From the beginning the press was nasty towards Autumn, nothing has changed. Finally the reason being classism.
I wish the Philips’ the best under the circumstances and still at a loss why their private pain became a public item – it does not affect the polity.
Their private pain became a public item to distract from 1. Bills Rose gardening and 2. Pedo Andy. This is why I think Anne will come to their defense, as she herself went through a divorce. Anne knows it is hard enough without the toxic royal rota getting involved. Hey, when I type royal rota it autocorrects to “royal rotavirus”! How apt!