Is Peter Phillips the most unlucky in love royal? Princess Anne’s son, 46, splits from girlfriend of three years Lindsay Wallace after divorcing Autumn Kelly (and let’s not forget his controversial business ventures)

His grandmother Queen Elizabeth II was happily married to her ‘strength and stay’ Prince Philip for 73 years until his death in 2021 – and his sister Zara Tindall still looks just as loved-up with her husband Mike as the day they were married in 2011.

But Peter Phillips certainly hasn’t been as lucky in love – or in business – as some of his relatives.

Princess Anne ‘s son, 46, who lives on his mother’s estate, Gatcombe Park in Gloucestershire, has split from his ‘rock solid’ girlfriend Lindsay Wallace after three years together. 

The pair have now gone their separate ways after the relationship ‘ran its course’, a source told the Sun. They are still amicable, with no one else believed to be involved.

Peter and his old friend Lindsay, 43, an oil tycoon’s daughter, started dating following his divorce from Autumn Kelly , 45, in 2021. The former husband and wife share two daughters, Savannah, 13, and Isla, 12.

But it’s not just his failed relationships that have hit headlines in recent years – with the King’s nephew, who has no title, suffering decidedly mixed fortunes in the commercial world.

Here, following his break up with Lindsay, FEMAIL takes a look at the ups and downs of Peter’s love life and career…

LINDSAY WALLACE 

Before their split, Lindsay and Peter enjoyed a three year romance after having been friends for years.

The couple met long before romance blossomed, as Lindsay went to school with Peter’s sister Zara, 42 – with both having attended the prestigious, £40,000-a-year Gordonstoun.

She was also among the guests at the royal’s 2011 wedding to former rugby star Mike Tindall. 

It is understood that Peter and Lindsay – a mother of two – became close after spending time together following the breakdown of both of their marriages – as Lindsay had also split from her ex-husband. 

Stay-at-home mother Lindsay parted from businessman husband of 11 years Andrew, at around the same time that Peter announced his divorce in 2020.

Peter made headlines in March 2021, when he was spotted visiting Lindsay’s home in Aberdeenshire – initially sparking concerns he had breached lockdown restrictions to make the 460-mile round trip from his Gloucestershire home.

However, at the time the royal insisted the trip to Scotland was made as a marketing consultant for company XF Medical, although sources said he was ‘besotted’ by Lindsay.

Speaking in March 2021, an insider also said the pair have been ‘keeping things under wraps’ and ‘only the inner circle knew about this friendship’. 

In 2022, a source close to the pair also told the Telegraph: ‘They were friends first because Lindsay is very close to Zara but then the relationship developed into something much closer. They are really happy together.’

The couple seemingly cemented their relationship in November 2021, when Peter invited Lindsay to his nephew’s Christening. 

A spokesman for Peter had confirmed that she had accompanied him to the joint christening of Zara and Mike’s son, Lucas, and Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank’s son, August, in Windsor. 

As reported by Tatler, Lindsay is also said to have met the late Queen Elizabeth after a shooting party at Windsor.

Peter and Lindsay had huddled up close as they enjoyed the Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022. 

Elsewhere in May, Lindsay joined other senior members for the King’s Coronation concert and in July sat alongside Peter and Camilla for a Wimbledon match.

A friend of the King’s nephew told Hello at the time that Peter has always been ‘extremely close’ with King Charles and that ‘it meant a lot’ that he was able to bring Lindsay to the event.

The source told the outlet: ‘He is in a great place at the moment and could not be happier in either his private or personal life.’

The pal added the pair look ‘so natural’ in each other’s company, adding they are ‘incredibly happy’ together.

‘Lindsay really is a breath of fresh air and it’s clear to see both Lindsay and Peter are loving life,’ they continued. 

However, Peter appeared to be without Lindsay at the Bahrain Grand Prix at the start of March. According to the Sun, the pair have now split.

‘They were friends before their relationship blossomed. But Peter and Lindsay have gone their separate ways as the relationship simply ran its course,’ an insider claimed.

A friend of the couple added to Hello! that Peter’s work commitments means he’s been travelling ‘non-stop’. 

‘Peter and Lindsay made the difficult decision to separate as they were spending less time together with work and family commitments. Peter’s business commitments and work in F1 meant he has been away and travelling non stop,’ the source added.

‘It obviously came as a shock as most people thought they were absolutely rock solid, it’s very sad.

‘Peter has been travelling all over the world and has been incredibly busy and Lindsay is based up in Scotland, so it’s been hard for them to see each other.’

AUTUMN KELLY

Peter and Canadian-born Autumn Kelly announced they were separating in 2020, with the divorce finalised in 2021. They share two daughters, Savannah, 13, and Isla, 12.

Autumn still has a good relationship with some members of the family. In the summer, she was pictured at a charity golf tournament with Zara, Peter’s sister. 

Montreal-born Autumn was a management consultant when she met Phillips at the 2003 Canadian Grand Prix. 

At the time, he was working for the Williams Formula 1 team. She is said not to have known until six weeks later, when she saw him on television, that he was the Queen’s grandson. 

She then moved to Britain and after four years together, Peter popped the question and their engagement was announced on 28 July 2007. A date was set for the following year.

Autumn was born and brought up a Roman Catholic but renounced her faith shortly before their wedding so her husband-to-be did not have to give up his claim to the throne.

The couple tied the knot at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, on 17 May 2008 in front of 300 guests, including the late Queen, Princess Anne and Prince Harry.

Autumn looked resplendent in a gown by Sassi Halford and the Festoon Tiara, which was lent to the bride by Princess Anne. She finished her look with a necklace and earrings gifted to her by her husband. 

Among her six bridesmaids was her new sister-in-law, Zara. The women have gone on to form a close relationship. 

Both enjoy country pursuits and lived on 600-acre Aston Farm, which adjoins Princess Anne’s country estate of Gatcombe Park, Gloucestershire.

Peter and Autumn’s big day attracted media attention when they sold their wedding photos to Hello! magazine in May 2008 for a reported £500,000. The episode provoked claims the couple had exploited their Royal status. 

Photos of the couple on honeymoon on safari in South Africa were also released to the press, prompting speculation they had received the £1,000-a-night accommodation for free – or at least at a knock-down rate – in return for their co-operation in publicising the stay. 

They began living apart after their estrangement in 2019 and announced in February 2020 that they were planning to divorce after 12 years of marriage.

Autumn continues to live on Princess Anne’s Gatcombe Park estate in Gloucestershire so she can co-parent her two children with Peter. 

The breakdown of Autumn and Peter’s marriage was considered as particularly painful for the late Queen, who enjoyed a close relationship with her grandson’s wife. 

An unnamed friend of the couple previously told the Sun: ‘Autumn is a favourite of the Queen and I’m sure Her Majesty will be very upset by this as well.’

Autumn is now said to be dating an Irish construction company boss Donal Mulryan, who boasts that he has been behind more than £5billion of property schemes, reported The Mail On Sunday. 

The couple, who have been dating since 2021, were photographed with Savannah and Isla on a Mother’s Day outing to the Cirencester horse trials in 2022.

Mr Mulryan is close friends with Prince Albert of Monaco, having lived in the principality with his socialite wife Louise before they split several years ago. 

He has known Autumn for more than 15 years, and their relationship was first reported in July 2021.

A close friend of Autumn confirmed the relationship at the time, saying: ‘Autumn and Donal have been friends for more than 15 years. They are both single people. Donal has been separated from his wife for two years and is in the process of divorce.’

CONTROVERSIAL BUSINESS VENTURES 

Given a job by disgraced banker ‘Fred the Shred’ 

In contrast with his cousins, Peter has enjoyed a decidedly more low-key life that started with his mother Princess Anne’s decision not to give him and his younger sister Zara any royal titles.

While Zara has followed her mother in making a name for herself as a leading equestrian, Peter has immersed himself in a series of business ventures – not without the occasional controversy.

For instance, disgraced banker Fred ‘The Shred’ Goodwin – stripped of his knighthood after his role in Royal Bank of Scotland’s downfall in 2008 – is the man Peter has to thank for his early career.

After studying sports science at Exeter, Peter went into corporate entertainment with his company Tailor Made Hospitality Limited.

Set up in 2001, its last filed accounts were in 2003, when it was horribly in the red, with net liabilities of £140,000 after just 18 months in business.

Peter walked away from the disaster and started to work in corporate entertainment on the Williams Formula 1 motor racing team.

He had done work experience in F1 via family friend, Sir Jackie Stewart. Goodwin then hired Peter in 2005 to run the bank’s sponsorship of Williams F1 team.

In author Ian Fraser’s account of Goodwin’s downfall, Shredded: Inside RBS, The Bank That Broke Britain, it was observed that Peter was a part of an exceptionally lavish set-up.

Large sums were spent on RBS ‘ambassadors’ and phenomenal sums were spent on hospitality for guests during races. Up to £200million in total was spent on sponsoring events.

Goodwin was becoming ever more influential in Royal circles, having taken over as chairman of the Princes Trust in Scotland in 2000, then the Princes Trust in 2003, before getting a knighthood in 2004. 

Ian Fraser said: ‘Charles (the Prince of Wales) regularly sang Fred Goodwin’s praises and Goodwin seemed to make it his business to ingratiate himself with the Royal Family. He hired Zara, then Peter, arguably to do a favour for the royals.’ 

Sports and events firm controversy  

In 2012, four years after RBS had hit the headlines, Peter had become a shareholder in SEL UK limited, a sports and events firm which is a division of an Australian company.

On paper, it organises events including the Gatcombe Festival of British Eventing, which Peter has run since 2017, but it has otherwise failed to set the world alight. 

In 2016, meanwhile the company attracted controversy when it emerged that a payment it had received to organise a ‘charity’ Patron’s Lunch in honour of the late Queen’s 90th birthday was only a few thousand less than the sums raised and given to Her late Majesty’s favoured charities: the latter received a total of marginally over £762,000, while SEL had received a set fee of £750,000 to cover costs.

Nor had a contract to organise the lunch been put out to tender.

Two years later, accounts for the year ending June 2018, showed that the firm was £26,000 in the red, and the following year Companies House recorded a move to strike the firm from the register — although this was rescinded weeks later.

Cringe Chinese milk advert

Peter is not a ‘working royal’ and receives no state support. He has recently returned to F1 as head of partner acquisition for the sports and entertainment rights agency CSM Sport & Entertainment.

But in 2020, Peter had turned to other means to raise funds, deploying his royal status to sell Jersey-produced milk in China. 

In a television advert for Bright Dairies, shown on the country’s Dragon TV, Peter was seen being brought a glass of milk by a butler.

‘This is what I drink,’ he says against a tagline reading: ‘British royal family member, Peter Phillips.’

Such overt exploitation of his royal status raised eyebrows. Labour MP Chris Bryant said: ‘This is enough to curdle the cream on your breakfast cereal. They’re demeaning the very essence of the monarchy.’