What Princess Anne's Relationship With Her Former Daughter-In-Law Is Like

Princess Anne's former daughter-in-law, Autumn Phillips, did not have her sights set on one day marrying a member of the British royal family. In fact, when she first met Anne's son, she had no idea that he was Queen Elizabeth II's grandson. A Canadian commoner by birth, Autumn Phillips (née Kelly) first met Peter Phillips when she was working at a Formula 1 Race. "Not a Formula 1 fan at the time," Autumn admitted in an interview with the CBC. "[Peter] was working for William's, the F1 team. And, he came with the drivers, and, again, I had no interest in the drivers." Autumn and Peter connected, and not before long, the latter had acquired some tickets to an exclusive party. He put pedal to the metal and asked Autumn on their first date.

Although things started off well between Autumn and Peter, the couple did not last. They married in 2008, welcomed two daughters, and divorced in 2021. During the 13 years that Autumn and Peter were together, the pair spent a lot of time with the British royal family — and Autumn forged a strong bond both with her mother-in-law, Anne, and her sister-in-law, Zara Tindall. Although it would be easy to believe that Peter and Autumn's eventual split would mar these relationships, the opposite has been true. As Autumn faced the difficult times following her divorce, she turned to both Anne and Zara for support. These days, Autumn remains close with both women — and is considered an integral part of the family.

At first, Princess Anne's former daughter-in-law, Autumn Phillips, was understandably nervous about joining the British royal family. During her childhood in the Commonwealth, Autumn had grown up reading royal news and observing the formality with which people like the Princess Royal conducted themselves at important events. Consequently, Autumn initially was not so sure she would be welcomed into the royal fold. When it finally came time for Autumn to meet Anne, however, she realized that her worries were for naught.

Speaking to this point in a 2016 interview with the CBC, Autumn described the way that Anne and her family took her in. "They're very welcoming. You don't think of them as the royal family when you're with them. They're just like every other family. Just kind and welcoming," she gushed. In her opinion, the royals' public formality was quite different from their private warmth. This, apparently, applied to Anne, as well.

Back in 2008, when Autumn walked down the aisle with Peter, the Princess Royal showed her daughter-in-law a strong sign of approval. Rather than encouraging Autumn to find her own jewelry for the wedding, Anne offered her a special tiara from her own collection. The antique Festoon Tiara first came into Anne's possession in 1973 after the World-Wide Shipping Group presented her with the piece. Entrusting this item to Autumn on the day of her wedding was a great sign — especially given all the wedding tiara drama that has taken place historically.

It took 16 months for Autumn Phillips and Peter Phillips to finalize their divorce, which, compared to Princess Diana and King Charles III or Sarah Ferguson and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's respective drawn-out divorces, really isn't terribly long. Autumn and Peter's divorce also wasn't terribly messy — at least not in the public eye. Princess Anne not only never spoke about her son's divorce to the press, but she reportedly was not interested in getting into any drama behind the scenes. Due to her "keep calm and carry on" mentality, Anne apparently did her best to keep the peace.  

Chatting with royal correspondent Katie Nicholls for a 2020 piece in Vanity Fair, one of Anne's ladies-in-waiting hinted that the princess was unhappy with the divorce. However, she also noted that Anne was eager to move on. "We had a little conversation about it in the car, but she just rises above it," the lady-in-waiting explained. A separate source also seemed to imply that Anne was struggling with the situation, calling it "raw." That said, it was clear that Anne wanted the whole story to blow over. As Nicholls put it, "Anne won't comment on the front-page story about her son's divorce." For the sake of her relationship with both her son and her ex-daughter-in-law, things were probably better that way.

While some in-laws might be eager to cut ties and part ways for good following a divorce, such was not the case for Princess Anne and Autumn Phillips. After the split, Peter Phillips' ex continued to live on one of Anne's properties, all for the sake of the Princess Royal's grandkids.

During their marriage, Autumn and Peter welcomed two little girls. Savannah Phillips was born in 2010, followed by her little sister, Isla Phillips, in 2012. During the 1990s, Anne watched multiple high-profile and messy divorces become moments that changed the royal family for good. Decades later, Anne, a royal who made the conscious choice not to give her own kids titles because she wanted them to lead "normal" lives, would play a major part in helping her son's young family adjust to post-divorce life. 

When they were still married, Peter and Autumn primarily resided in a home located on Anne's Gatcombe Park estate with their daughters. Located in Gloucestershire, this grand estate includes several different residences. In the wake of the divorce, Anne's ex-daughter-in-law moved to one of the estate's other abodes. While the arrangement was certainly not free of growing pains at first, it was viewed as ideal for the two girls. As per Peter and Autumn's official divorce announcement, which was later quoted in Hola!, "Both Peter and Autumn will remain in Gloucestershire to bring up their two children where they have been settled for a number of years." By permitting Autumn to stay at Gatcombe, Anne ensured the maximum amount of possible stability for her two grandchildren, despite the stress of their parents' split.

In the years following her divorce from Princess Anne's son, Autumn Phillips has continued to attend many of the royal family's more intimate family events. While she did miss the gossip-fueled royal Christmas gathering at Sandringham in 2025, Autumn has been seen out with the Princess Royal and Zara Tindall on several occasions. 

In 2025, Autumn and Anne attended the Cirencester Park Horse Trials together to support Zara, who was riding in the competition. Autumn also joined the rest of the family at the Gatcombe Park horse trials, which are held on Anne's property. Throughout both events, Autumn and Anne were photographed chatting amicably like old friends.

Speaking with Hello! following the event, royal photographer James Whatling said the vibes between Anne and Autumn seemed overwhelmingly positive. "It was just nice and relaxed. Zara had a group of pals and grooms with her. Autumn was there, which was nice to see," he shared. Interestingly, Whatling was quick to observe just how well Autumn got on with the rest of the Windsor crew. "She's obviously still part of the family and was chatting to Anne and everyone else. She's certainly not been ostracized in any way," he added. Although the Princess Royal is known to be intimidating, Princess Anne is a total boss who just wants to keep her family together. At the end of the day, that means including Autumn at social events despite the divorce.

In the wake of Autumn Phillips and Peter Phillips' split, Queen Elizabeth II did not cut her eldest grandson's ex-wife out of the picture — literally. Elizabeth was said to be a big fan of Autumn's before the divorce, and evidently that did not change after the marriage came to an end. And while it was ultimately Elizabeth's call to make — she was the queen, after all — we can't help but wonder if Princess Anne's own warm feelings toward Autumn played a part in making sure a picture of Autumn and Peter stayed up in the palace. 

In 2021, shortly after Autumn and Peter's divorce, Elizabeth was photographed presenting Dame Imogen Cooper with a special Medal for Music in the Audience Room at Buckingham Palace. What might this have to do with Autumn and Anne, you wonder? Well, eagle-eyed royal fans spotted a small collection of framed pictures of several royal couples arranged on side tables in the background of said photographs. Wouldn't you know it, a picture of Autumn and Peter was on display alongside other family members. 

The scandal-ridden Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, on the other hand, were not featured in the picture collection; there have been a few separate rumblings about their pictures being pulled from royal residences. Ultimately, the fact that a photo of Autumn remained in the Audience Room, while Harry and Meghan's did not, suggests that the Canadian commoner has strong allies in her corner. She clearly ended up on good enough terms with her former mother-in-law and former grandmother-in-law. 

The British royal family is not known for its huge displays of physical affection, although Princess Anne and her daughter, Zara Tindall, have been known to bend the rules for Autumn Phillips. Over the years, the mother and daughter have been photographed showering Autumn with hugs and kisses. This sense of affection was not limited to the time that Autumn and Peter Phillips were still together, with many key warm and fuzzy moments playing out as the marriage was coming to an end.

In 2019 — the year Peter and Autumn told other members of the royal family they separated — Anne was photographed giving Autumn a big hug at the Gatcombe Horse Trials. Dressed in casual wear and leaning into each other completely, both Anne and Autumn looked completely natural and comfortable in the embrace. As they hugged, Autumn appeared to plant a kiss on Anne's cheek, displaying the sweet relationship that flowed between the Princess Royal and the Canadian commoner.

Although Anne has been photographed with Autumn less often since the actual divorce in 2021, Zara have been spotted out and about looking on as good terms as can be. At the 2024 Blenheim International Horse Trials, where Zara and Autumn were photographed each with an arm around Isla Phillips. This sort of continued closeness shows that, while Anne and Zara have recognized the divorce, they are not willing to allow the situation to dictate their relationship with Autumn moving forward. And though Peter remarried in 2026, we suspect his ex will remain an integral part of the family.