Zara Tindall and Princess Anne at Royal Ascot in 2017.
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The Gist
Princess Anne and Mark Phillips welcomed two children before divorcing in 1992.
Their son Peter—a.k.a. Queen Elizabeth II’s first grandchild—was born on November 15, 1977.
Little sister Zara arrived four years later on May 15, 1981.
Princess Anne is the proud mother of two adult children, Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall, both of whom she welcomed with her ex-husband, Mark Phillips. The former couple married in November 1973 and divorced in April 1992. In between those two bookends, their son and daughter arrived in 1977 and 1981, respectively. Anne subsequently remarried retired Royal Navy officer Timothy Laurence in December 1992.
Timothy Laurence and Princess Anne at the Whatley Manor International Horse Trials at Gatcombe Park in September 2014.
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Growing up, Peter and Zara had a relatively down-to-earth childhood at Gatcombe Park, a rural estate that was gifted to their mother by her late mother, Queen Elizabeth. Much like Prince William and Kate Middleton’s three children, the duo was raised in the countryside with at least some semblance of normalcy. Unlike the Wales children, neither Peter nor Zara were given titles by their royal mother, who was granted the title princess royal by her mother.
“I think it was probably easier for them, and I think most people would argue that there are downsides to having titles,” Anne explained about her decision in a 2020 interview with Vanity Fair. “So I think that was probably the right thing to do.”
Princess Anne with her kids Peter and Zara in May 1984.
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Today, Gatcombe remains the center of family life for Anne and her two children. Both of her children lived in cottages on the estate until they were married; as of now, Peter splits his time between London and Gatcombe. Zara, meanwhile, lives on Aston Farm, which is right next door.
Ahead, here’s everything you should know about Princess Anne’s two adult children, Peter and Zara, and her five young grandchildren, Savannah, Isla, Mia, Lena, and Lucas, all of whom inherited her love of horseback riding.
Peter Phillips
Peter Phillips at Sunningdale Golf Club in July 2025.
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Princess Anne became a mother for the first time with the birth of her son Peter on November 15, 1977. He had the distinction of being Queen Elizabeth II’s first grandchild and was also the first member of the royal family to be born in the Lindo Wing of St. Mary’s Hospital in London. (The Lindo Wing is also where Prince Harry, Prince William, and all three of the latter’s children were born.)
As a child, Peter attended the Gordonstoun School in Scotland followed by the University of Exeter, per Tatler. He has always worked in the private sector as he is not a working member of the royal family. In 2003, he met his future wife Autumn Kelly at a F1 event in Montreal; the couple later tied the knot in 2008 at at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. They welcomed two daughters, Savannah and Isla, in 2010 and 2012, respectively. Savannah was the first grandchild of Princess Anne and the first great-grandchild of Queen Elizabeth.
Peter Phillips and Autumn Kelly with their daughters Savannah and Isla at the Gatcombe Horse Trials in September 2013.
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In 2020, on the cusp of the COVID-19 pandemic, Peter and Autumn announced their separation. Their divorce was finalized the following summer, in June 2021. Exactly one year later, Peter debuted his new relationship with oil heiress Lindsay Wallace at Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee.
The Telegraph had previously crowned Peter the late monarch’s “favorite grandson.”
“She has been an inspirational person throughout my life,” he wrote in an essay for the publication. Peter later walked in her funeral procession to Westminster Abbey in London alongside his cousins, Prince William and Prince Harry. He then parted ways with Lindsay before coupling up with Harriet Sperling, a pediatric nurse, in May 2024. After roughly one year of dating, a spokesman for the duo announced their engagement.
Harriet Sperling and Peter Phillips at Cheltenham Festival in March 2026.
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“Both families were informed jointly of the announcement and were delighted with the wonderful news of their engagement,” the statement read. “Their Majesties The King and Queen, The Prince and Princess of Wales have been informed of the announcement.”
Per The Sun, the couple had to get “special permission” to wed owing to the fact that both have been married before. They are slated to say “I do” on June 6, 2026 at an undisclosed location.
Zara Tindall
Zara Tindall at Cheltenham Festival in March 2026.
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Peter became a big brother with the arrival of little sister, Zara, on May 15, 1981. She was also born at St. Mary’s Hospital in London. As for her lack of a royal title, Zara is actually glad she wasn’t burdened with one. “I’m very lucky that both my parents decided to not use the title and we grew up and did all the things that gave us the opportunity to do,” she told The Times, per People.
Like Peter, Zara attended both the Gordonstoun School and the University of Exeter. She also embraced her family’s longstanding love of all things equestrian, going so far as to win a silver medal at the Olympics in 2012.
Zara Phillips competing in the 2012 Summer Olympics.
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“We’re very lucky to have [the horses] in our lives. Being able to do it every day is incredible and it’s such an amazing sport,” the athlete once told People. “Any equestrian sport, that partnership between the horse and rider, or an owner and the horse is, it’s incredible. We’re very lucky to work with horses.”
In 2003, Zara met her future husband Mike Tindall; the couple said “I do” in 2011 at Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh, Scotland. Following their nuptials, they welcomed three children: Mia, who was born on January 17, 2014; Lena, who arrived on June 19, 2018; and Lucas, who was born on March 21, 2021.
Mike and Zara Tindall with their daughters Mia and Lena on Easter Sunday in 2023.
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Lena and Lucas are both named for royal relatives: Lena’s middle name, Elizabeth, is a tribute to the late Queen; Lucas’s middle name, Philip, is in homage to her late husband, Prince Philip. Zara and Mike were apparently so close to the monarch that they actually had a “tighter bond” with her than Prince William and Kate Middleton.
“The Queen has always adored Zara and is so proud of her riding success,” royal expert Ingrid Seward once told The Sun. “They have a lot in common as they talk horses and the Queen has invested in several horses for her.”
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