Mark Anthony Peter Phillips (born 22 September 1948) is an English Olympic gold medal-winning horseman who competed for Great Britain. He was the first husband of Anne, Princess Royal, with whom he has two children. Phillips is a leading figure in British equestrian circles, a noted eventing course designer and a columnist for Horse & Hound magazine.
Family background and early life
Mark Anthony Peter Phillips was born on 22 September 1948. He is the son of Major Peter William Garside Phillips, MC (1920–1998) and Anne Patricia Phillips (née Tiarks; 1925–1988). Mark had a younger sister, Sarah Anne Staples (née Phillips; 1951–2014).
Phillips continued to style himself Captain Mark Phillips after his retirement from the army. It is customary for retired cavalry captains to retain their former rank when their civilian occupation involves working with horses, particularly in racing or equestrian sports.
Equestrian career
Mark Phillips in 1973
Phillips was a reserve member of the British equestrian team for the 1968 Olympics. He was part of the British three-day event teams that won a world title in 1970, a European title in 1971 and Olympic gold medals in 1972; individually, he finished in 35th place at the 1972 games. At the 1988 Olympics, his horse sustained a pulled muscle and could not complete the individual three-day event, but Phillips won a silver medal with the British team. He was a four-time champion at the Badminton Horse Trials: in 1971 and 1972 on Great Ovation, in 1974 on Colombus and in 1981 on Lincoln. It was through his equestrian activities that he met Princess Anne, the only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whom he later married. Their daughter Zara Phillips won a silver medal in the three-day event with the British team at the 2012 Olympics in London.
Phillips first met his future wife, Princess Anne, at a party for horse enthusiasts in 1968. They married on 14 November 1973 at Westminster Abbey. They have two children: Peter (born 1977) and Zara (born 1981). The Queen bought Gatcombe Park, near Minchinhampton, for the couple as a wedding present.
In August 1989, Phillips and Anne announced their intention to separate, as the marriage had been under strain for several years. The couple had rarely been seen in public together and had been romantically linked with other people. They continued to share custody of their children and initially stated that "there were no plans for divorce." During this period, Phillips continued to work at the couple's estate at Gatcombe Park. In 1991, a DNA test confirmed that he had fathered a daughter, Felicity Tonkin, born in August 1985 in New Zealand to art teacher Heather Tonkin. Phillips and Anne divorced on 23 April 1992.
On 1 February 1997, Phillips married Sandy Pflueger, an American Olympic dressage rider. Their daughter, Stephanie, was born on 2 October 1997. She grew up at Aston Farm, Gatcombe Park, close to the family of Anne, and served as a bridesmaid at the wedding of her half-sister Zara. In 2000, Phillips was appointed an Honorary Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Farmers.
On 3 May 2012, Phillips' solicitors confirmed that he and Pflueger had separated and intended to divorce, with Phillips becoming involved with American equestrian Lauren Hough.
Phillips' personal wealth is estimated to be around £15–20 million. The settlement he received when his marriage to Anne ended was described as "modest" and reported to be around "$3 million".
These arms were granted to Peter Phillips, the father of Captain Mark Phillips, in October 1973. Mark used these arms differenced with a three point label until he inherited the undifferenced arms from his father in 1998. He was granted hereditary supporters, a rare privilege for untitled people.[citation needed]
Crest
On a Wreath of the colours, a spur rowed upward or, winged argent, enclosing a lozenge sable.
Escutcheon
Per chevron azure and Or, in chief a horse courant argent, and in base a sprig of forget-me-not flowers, slipped and leaved proper.
Supporters
On the dexter side a winged lion, and on the sinister side a winged horse Argent, each gorged with a representation of the Coronet of HRH The Princess Anne proper.
↑Morgan, Gwen. "A Royal Wedding Album". Chicago Tribune 15 November 1973. Archived from the original on 6 July 2015. Retrieved 4 March 2016. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Michael Ramsey, blesses Princess Ann and Capt. Mark Phillips....
12"Royal scandal: Zara Tindall's 'secret' nephew born in NZ". The New Zealand Herald. 19 August 2017. Archived from the original on 10 October 2022. Retrieved 24 June 2022. A DNA test in 1991 confirmed Phillips as her father, paving the way for a reported £350,000 settlement from Phillips, money which helped pay for fees at one of Auckland's finest private schools and some profitable property investments to secure Felicity's future.
↑Brozan, Nadine (24 April 1992). "Chronicle". New York Times. Archived from the original on 3 April 2024. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
United Kingdom
British Army
