Peter Phillips broke Prince Philip’s heart with divorce: ‘Just get on with it!’

Peter, the Queen’s eldest grandchild, has come back into the spotlight this week because of his role in Philip’s funeral procession this afternoon. Princess Anne’s son will be standing in between the feuding brothers, Prince Harry and Prince William, as the royals walk behind their grandfather’s coffin around Windsor Castle. This is perceived as the latest sign of the deepening rift between the siblings, with some critics crediting Peter as a “mediator” within the Royal Family.

A source close to him even claimed this week: “Peter is very diplomatic and gets on very well with both William and Harry.

“Clearly there are still tensions between the brothers and Pete will try to defuse the situation.

“As the eldest of all the Queen’s grandchildren, he will take responsibility for ensuring there are no problems on the day.”

Peter was also considered to be Philip’s favourite grandchild by some royal watchers — but he is said to have devastated the late Duke of Edinburgh when he filed for divorce last year from his wife of 12 years, Autumn.

In her book, ‘Prince Philip Revealed’, biographer Ingrid Seward claimed Philip was “saddened by the breakdown of the marriage”.

She continued: “Philip comes from the generation that puts up and shuts up, and to his mind and that of the Queen’s it has always been that divorce is the very last resort.

“Having cautioned the couple to try to make it work for a two-year period, when it eventually fell apart, he [Philip] knew there was nothing more to do except tell them to just get on with it.”

The pair have two children together, 10-year-old Savannah and nine-year-old Isla.

In February last year, Peter and Autumn released a statement which read: “After informing HM The Queen and members of both families last year, Peter and Autumn jointly agreed to separate.

“Both families were naturally sad at the announcement but fully supportive of Peter and Autumn in the joint decision to co-parent their children.”

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Despite the split, the pair still live on Princess Anne’s Gatcombe Park estate, although they are thought to now reside in separate buildings.

Peter’s close relationship with Philip was also unpicked by Ms Seward.

She explained: “According to a member of staff, as the Duke became more cantankerous in his old age, the only one that could cheer him up was Peter, who used to love duck flighting with his grandfather, and they still play games together and tease each other.”

Indeed, some have speculated that it may have been Philip’s wish that Harry and William would not stand next to each other.

Speaking on the Australian morning show Sunrise, commentator Nathan Templeton said: “My only thought on this is it’s Philip’s funeral. No one knows better what he would have wanted than the Queen.”

Some royal fans also claimed on social media that Peter’s prominent position in the funeral procession reflects his relationship with Philip — rather than revealing the true nature of Harry and William’s feud.

One account tweeted: “The procession for Prince Philip’s funeral isn’t happening in order of right to the throne, it’s based off age of children [and] then grandchildren.”

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Another tweeted: “Peter Phillips is the eldest grandchild to Prince Philip & Our Queen, he isn’t someone being used to separate William and Harry.

“His place in the procession is earned by being the first grandchild. Simple as protocol.”

Peter straddles the royal world and the life of a private citizen — he does not have a title, despite being 16th-in-line to the throne, and has his own income away from the monarchy.

This could make him the ideal figure to broker the rift between Harry — who is now a private citizen, independent of the Palace — and William, who will one day become the sovereign.

All three royals will be remembering their grandfather fondly today, and many are hoping that the occasion will not be overshadowed by any family spats.

As Sir David Attenborough told the BBC today, Philip was a “formidable” character — but won over the nation with his charm.

The naturalist explained: “He was an extraordinary combination of formidable, and actually being cheerful - friendly, rather than cheerful.

“You knew he was there in an extraordinary way, an amazing presence — an extraordinary balancing act between formality and informality.”

‘Prince Philip Revealed: A Man of His Century’ by Ingrid Seward was published by Simon & Schuster in 2020 and is available here.