Peter and Zara do not have
titles, and this is due to a centuries-old family tradition. Unlike her
cousins Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, Zara is not
a princess – and likewise, Peter is not a prince.
This is because when a member
of the royal family has a child, tradition says that only the father may pass
on his title, and the only princes and princesses in the family have fathers in
the direct line of succession.
Zara and Peter’s father
Captain Mark Phillips is not a member of the royal family, which means his
children are not granted HRH titles.
This is the reason why the
late Queen’s two oldest sons, King Charles III and Prince Andrew, have
been able to grant their children the titles of prince and princesses, while
Princess Anne’s children – despite being in line to the throne – did not
inherit royal rankings.
Speaking to Vanity
Fair in 2020, Princess Anne reflected upon the decision not to grant her
children titles: “I think most people would argue that there are downsides
to having titles…So I think that was probably the right thing to do.”
Living without royal titles
may have been a blessing in disguise for Peter and Zara who have been offered
more freedom to dictate their careers. For example, Zara pursued a career as a
professional British equestrian and Olympian.
Sticking with the sporting
industry, Peter, went on to work for Jaguar Racing before becoming the director
of a sports management company.
