Autumn Patricia Phillips (née Kelly; born May 3, 1978) is the Canadian-born former wife of
Peter Phillips
Peter Mark Andrew Phillips (born 15 November 1977) is a British businessman and the son of Anne, Princess Royal, and Captain Mark Phillips. He is the eldest nephew of King Charles III, and 17th in the line of succession to the British throne.
...
, who is the son of
Anne, Princess Royal
Anne, Princess Royal (Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise; born 15 August 1950), is a member of the British royal family. She is the second child and only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the only sister of ...
and the eldest grandchild of
Queen Elizabeth II and
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, later Philip Mountbatten; 10 June 1921 – 9 April 2021) was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. As such, he served as the consort of the British monarch from E ...
. After graduating from
McGill University
McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous ...
in 2002, she met Phillips in her birthplace and hometown of
Montreal, Quebec
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple-pe ...
. Their engagement was announced on July 28, 2007, and they were married in
St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle
St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle in England is a castle chapel built in the late-medieval Perpendicular Gothic style. It is both a Royal Peculiar (a church under the direct jurisdiction of the monarch) and the Chapel of the Order of the Gart ...
, on May 17, 2008. They have two daughters. The couple separated in 2019, and divorced in 2021.
Early life and family
Autumn, her twin brother Christopher "Chris" and her older brother Kevin, were born in
Montreal, Quebec
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple-pe ...
, to Kathleen "Kitty" (
née McCarthy) and Brian Kelly, he an Executive with the Electricity Company (
Hydro-Québec)
She was
baptised
Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost inv ...
on June 18, 1978, at Saint John Fisher Parish Church, and raised in
Cedar Park,
Pointe-Claire
Pointe-Claire (, ) is a Quebec local municipality within the Urban agglomeration of Montreal on the Island of Montreal in Canada. It is entirely developed, and land use includes residential, light manufacturing, and retail. As of the 2021 ce ...
, in the
English-speaking
Speakers of English are also known as Anglophones, and the countries where English is natively spoken by the majority of the population are termed the '' Anglosphere''. Over two billion people speak English , making English the largest langua ...
West Island
The West Island () is the unofficial name given to the cities, towns and boroughs at the western end of the Island of Montreal, in Quebec, Canada. It is generally considered to consist of the Lakeshore municipalities of Dorval, Pointe-Cla ...
region of Montreal.
Her parents divorced when she was eight, after which her mother married commercial pilot Ron Magas and her father married Lynne, with whom he has two children, Jessica and Patrick.
Autumn's family continued to live in the Pointe-Claire area, where she attended a
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
* Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
* Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...
parochial school, and then
St. Thomas High School, a
Roman Catholic foundation. It was reported in 2007 that St Thomas' was where Autumn had both excelled at sports and had also studied alongside fellow student and friend, actress
Casey McKinnon
Casey McKinnon is a Canadian actress and producer from Montreal, Quebec, Canada. She is known for her work on web series Galacticast, ''A Comicbook Orange'' and ''Kitkast''.
Background
Born and raised in Montreal, McKinnon attended St. Thomas H ...
.
Autumn then attended
McGill University
McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous ...
, during which time she worked as a
bartender
A bartender (also known as a barkeep, barman, barmaid, or a mixologist) is a person who formulates and serves alcoholic or soft drink beverages behind the bar, usually in a licensed establishment as well as in restaurants and nightclubs, but ...
,
model
A model is an informative representation of an object, person or system. The term originally denoted the plans of a building in late 16th-century English, and derived via French and Italian ultimately from Latin ''modulus'', a measure.
Models c ...
,
and actress, appearing in the 1996 film ''
Rainbow
A rainbow is a meteorological phenomenon that is caused by reflection, refraction and dispersion of light in water droplets resulting in a spectrum of light appearing in the sky. It takes the form of a multicoloured circular arc. Rainbows c ...
'', taking the non-speaking, though credited, role of Tigrette Number 3,
and later in the television series ''
Sirens
Siren or sirens may refer to:
Common meanings
* Siren (alarm), a loud acoustic alarm used to alert people to emergencies
* Siren (mythology), an enchanting but dangerous monster in Greek mythology
Places
* Siren (town), Wisconsin
* Siren, Wisco ...
''.
Autumn graduated from McGill in 2002, with a
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four year ...
degree in
East Asian studies
East Asian studies is a distinct multidisciplinary field of scholarly enquiry and education that promotes a broad humanistic understanding of East Asia past and present. The field includes the study of the region's culture, written language, histo ...
, whereupon she started a career as a
management consultant
Management consulting is the practice of providing consulting services to organizations to improve their performance or in any way to assist in achieving organizational objectives. Organizations may draw upon the services of management consultants ...
.
Marriage and family
Autumn first met Peter Phillips when he attended the
2003 Canadian Grand Prix
The 2003 Canadian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 15 June 2003 at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
Michael Schumacher took the win, despite nursing an ailing car home towards the end of the race, with the Williamses of Ralf Schumac ...
; she was interviewing the
Canadian Security Intelligence Service
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS, ; french: Service canadien du renseignement de sécurité, ''SCRS'') is Canada's primary national intelligence agency. It is responsible for collecting, analysing, reporting and disseminating int ...
, Peter was working for
Williams F1
Williams Grand Prix Engineering Limited, currently racing in Formula One as Williams Racing, is a British Formula One motor racing team and constructor. It was founded by former team owner Frank Williams and automotive engineer Patrick Head ...
at the time. She did not know, until six weeks later, when she saw him on television, that he was
Queen Elizabeth II's grandson.
She then moved to the United Kingdom, living with Phillips in a
Kensington, London, apartment and a cottage on the
Gatcombe Park
Gatcombe Park is the country residence of Anne, Princess Royal, between the villages of Minchinhampton (to which it belongs) and Avening in Gloucestershire, England. Built in the late 18th century to the designs of George Basevi, it is ...
estate.
Before meeting him, she had accepted a job with an American computer firm in England,
and later worked as a
personal assistant
A personal assistant, also referred to as personal aide (PA) or personal secretary (PS), is a job title describing a person who assists a specific person with their daily business or personal task,. it is a sub-specialty of secretarial duties ...
to broadcaster
Michael Parkinson
Sir Michael Parkinson (born 28 March 1935) is an English broadcaster, journalist and author. He presented his television talk show '' Parkinson'' from 1971 to 1982 and from 1998 to 2007, as well as other talk shows and programmes both in the U ...
,
while also attending royal events, such as the dinner party at the
Ritz Hotel for the Queen's 80th birthday.
Their engagement was announced by the royal family on July 28, 2007,
and the Queen subsequently gave her consent to the union, as required by the
Royal Marriages Act 1772
The Royal Marriages Act 1772 (12 Geo 3 c. 11) was an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain which prescribed the conditions under which members of the British royal family could contract a valid marriage, in order to guard against marriages t ...
, after a meeting of her
British Privy Council
The Privy Council (PC), officially His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the sovereign of the United Kingdom. Its membership mainly comprises senior politicians who are current or former members of ei ...
on April 9 of the following year.
[ Consent to marriage of Peter Phillips and Autumn Kelly] Phillips proposed to her with "a platinum ring containing an oval centre diamond with more diamonds on either side".
Prior to the marriage, Autumn had been raised a
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
* Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
* Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...
and educated at
Catholic foundation schools, was received into the
Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britai ...
(Anglican), which does not re-confirm people who were raised in churches acknowledging the
Apostolic succession. Had she remained Catholic after her marriage, under the provisions of the
Act of Settlement 1701, her husband would have lost his place in the
line of succession to the throne.
That fact received widespread press coverage and drew attention to the Act of Settlement's bar on Catholics ascending to the throne, and prompted calls in both Canada and the United Kingdom for the respective prime ministers to consider the issue.
She did not give up her Canadian citizenship.
Some reported unease was caused in royal circles when Autumn and Phillips were interviewed and photographed by ''
Hello!'' magazine, for a reported fee of £500,000.
The couple married on May 17, 2008 at
St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle
St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle in England is a castle chapel built in the late-medieval Perpendicular Gothic style. It is both a Royal Peculiar (a church under the direct jurisdiction of the monarch) and the Chapel of the Order of the Gart ...
with 300 guests in attendance.
The service was conducted by
David Conner,
Dean of Windsor
The Dean of Windsor is the spiritual head of the canons of St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, England. The dean chairs meetings of the Chapter of Canons as ''primus inter pares''. The post of Dean of Wolverhampton was assimilated to the dea ...
,
and Autumn's dress was designed by Sassi Holford. For the occasion, the Princess Royal lent Kelly the Festoon Tiara which she had received as a gift in 1973 in Hong Kong, and Kelly wore a necklace and earrings from her husband.
Her six
bridesmaids
Bridesmaids are members of the bride's party in a Western traditional wedding ceremony. A bridesmaid is typically a young woman and often a close friend or relative. She attends to the bride on the day of a wedding or marriage ceremony. Traditi ...
included
Zara Phillips, her husband's sister.
The couple had a carriage procession before going to
Frogmore House
Frogmore House is a 17th-century English country house owned by the Crown Estate. It is a historic Grade I listed building. The house is located on the Frogmore estate, which is situated within the grounds of the Home Park in Windsor, Berkshi ...
for a reception.
In 2010, they returned to London after living in Hong Kong, where Peter Phillips had a job with the
Royal Bank of Scotland, heading its sports sponsorship activities in the region.
Their first child, and the Queen's first great-grandchild, Savannah Anne Kathleen, was born in 2010 at
Gloucestershire Royal Hospital
Gloucestershire Royal Hospital is an acute District General Hospital on the Great Western Road in Gloucester operated by the Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
History
In 1912, construction on a 149-bed infirmary started on Great Wes ...
.
With dual citizenship, the child is the first Canadian citizen to be in the line of succession to the thrones of the Commonwealth realms. In 2012, at the same hospital, Autumn gave birth to another girl, Isla Elizabeth.
Autumn and Peter Phillips separated in 2019. Their divorce was settled on June 14, 2021 after which Autumn began a relationship with Donal Mulryan, founder of the UK development and construction company Rockwell. As of June 2022, she was living in
Cirencester
Cirencester (, ; see below for more variations) is a market town in Gloucestershire, England, west of London. Cirencester lies on the River Churn, a tributary of the River Thames, and is the largest town in the Cotswolds. It is the home of ...
, close by to her ex-husband and daughters.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Phillips, Autumn
1978 births
Living people
20th-century Canadian actresses
21st-century Canadian actresses
Actresses from Montreal
Anglophone Quebec people
Canadian Anglicans
Canadian film actresses
Canadian expatriates in Hong Kong
Canadian expatriates in the United Kingdom
Canadian people of Irish descent
Canadian socialites
Canadian television actresses
Converts to Anglicanism from Roman Catholicism
McGill University alumni
Canadian twins
People from Pointe-Claire