There's a slimmer group of full-time working royals these days, but even though he doesn't have a title, Princess Anne's son, Peter Phillips, is "a key part" of life within the Royal Family. Former royal butler Grant Harrold, who worked for King Charles between 2004 and 2011, has opened up about Phillips's role in the family ahead of the royal's 48th birthday on Saturday, November 15.
The late Queen’s first grandchild is King Charles's nephew, and although he's seen at family events like Royal Ascot and Christmas festivities, Phillips doesn't take on any formal engagements on behalf of the crown. Speaking on behalf of OLBG, Harrold says that despite being number 19 in the line of succession, Peter "is still a close family member and a key part of the more private side of the family's life."
"He’s very close to his uncle, the King," Harrold adds. "The King enjoys spending time with Peter and his sister Zara, which we see whenever they attend public events together. The King has a lot of time and love for him"
King Charles greets nephew Peter Phillips at Royal Ascot 2025.
Phillips is seen with his daughter, Isla, in 2016.
Phillips currently works at a boutique sports management company and has starred in advertisements over the years, including a controversial milk ad in China. Speaking of his business opportunities, Harrold says, "Princess Anne purposely didn’t give him a title when he was born so that he didn’t have such a public profile. Even though he’s a member of the Royal Family and he’s in the line of succession, he doesn’t have any official responsibilities."
Harrold points out Prince William's plans for "a slimmed down monarchy," explaining that William's cousin Peter "will be absolutely fine with that." The etiquette expert added, "He’s a businessman, he does his own thing and enjoys his own life away from the spotlight."
However, Harrold notes that Phillips has "had quite an active role" when it comes to royal events, including being "on the committee for the late Queen’s Jubilee celebrations."
Peter Phillips is pictured with Prince William and Prince Harry in 2016.
Peter has one thing in common with cousins William and Harry, with Harrold noting that Phillips has "a very similar sense of humor to Princes William and Harry, they all have really good banter. They all love practical jokes."
Phillips, who proposed to girlfriend Harriet Sperling this summer, has a wedding to look forward to in the near future, and Harrold recalls King Charles throwing an engagement party for Peter's first wedding to Autumn Kelly. Although the family hasn't announced a date for Peter and Harriet's nuptials, it's likely to be a smaller, more private affair than his first wedding at St George's Chapel in Windsor.
"He’s very calm and very cool, and he has a great sense of humor," Harrold says of Phillips. "He’s very unassuming. He’s almost an unknown member of the family and he keeps out of the spotlight a lot."
