Kate Middleton Might Be Losing One of Her Best Friends Because of Peter and Autumn Phillips' Split

• Earlier this year, the royal family confirmed that Peter and Autumn Phillips are divorcing.
• The split will likely have a big impact on Kate Middleton, who has grown very close to Autumn over the years.
• According to royal reporter Angela Mollard, Autumn has always filled a very important and unique role in Kate's life.

We already knew the Queen was no fan of royal divorce, but now we can add Kate Middleton to the list of royals who are probably very disappointed by the latest royal split.

Earlier this year, Peter and Autumn Phillips announced their decision to divorce. Peter, the son of Princess Anne, is one of Prince Williams' cousins and one of Queen Elizabeth's grandchildren.

The split will mean less time for Kate and Autumn, who have grown incredibly close over the years. In an interview on the ROYALS podcast, correspondent Angela Mollard explained the pair's longstanding bond.

"We’ve seen them at polo together and Kate is really good friend with Autumn," she said. "In fact, she went to Autumn’s wedding as one of her first engagements on her own in 2008 because Prince William was in Kenya. He was away, they weren’t engaged at this stage, the wedding was at Windsor Castle and she represented the couple, and she’s been really good friend with Autumn ever since."

Spending less time with Autumn won't just mean finding non-royal time to visit with an old friend though. According to Mollard, it will deprive Kate of access to one of her closest confidants.

"It’s very hard for someone like Kate–you’ve got your own direct family and then you’ve got friends who you would trust and I don’t imagine there would be many of them. You have to be sure anything you say wouldn’t get passed on," Mollard explained, per Express. "The special creed within the Royal Family of nondisclosure means that speaking to somebody like Autumn with more depth…they have so many shallow conversations every day, they have to speak so generically about everything, she has to think about what she says every time."

This is why Kate's relationship with Autumn is so important—and so unique—for the Duchess of Cambridge.

"For Kate to be able to properly talk to somebody like Autumn must be incredibly valuable," Mollard added. "She has a sister and a mum but most of us have more than a couple of people we can confide in. You just have to hope that relationship doesn’t change. Being in the Royal Family, at times, must be incredibly lonely. To have allies is very important."

For more stories like this, including celebrity news, beauty and fashion advice, savvy political commentary, and fascinating features, sign up for the Marie Claire newsletter.

subscribe here