02/11/2020 - 13:14
- Clarín.com
- Society
Peter Phillips, the eldest of Queen Elizabeth II's grandchildren, announced Tuesday his separation and upcoming divorce from his Canadian wife, Autumn Kelly, after 12 years of marriage.
In a joint statement, the couple said that the decision was made in pursuit of the well-being of their children , Savannah (9 years old) and Isla (7), in a "friendly" context. In addition, they agreed on the joint care of the children, with "full support" from both families.
According to the portal The Sun , which had anticipated the news, the queen disliked the novelty of the divorce, but Buckingham Palace did not comment on it.
Son of Princess Ana and her first husband, Captain Mark Phillips, Peter (42 years old) married Autumn in 2008 in the chapel of St. George of Windsor Castle, in the presence of the queen. He is the eldest of eight grandsons of the monarch and was fifth in the line of succession to the throne when he was born, but is currently the 15th. He has no royal title and never officially represented the British monarchy.
The news of his divorce comes shortly after his cousin Harry and his wife, Meghan, resigned last month from their royal duties and their Highness titles, to seek economic independence and settle in Canada.
Isabel II's third son, Prince Andrew, also retired from public life at the end of last year amid a scandal over his friendship with US financier Jeffrey Epstein, who committed suicide in a New York jail while waiting to be tried for child trafficking.
With information from ANSA and AFP agencies.
JPE