Princess Anne, the Queen’s second child and only daughter, and Mark tied the knot in November 1973. They went on to welcome son Peter in 1977 and daughter Zara in 1981 before they sadly announced their separation in August 1989.
This was the first time a child of the British monarch had remarried after divorce and defied the Church of England since the 2002 law had not yet come to fruition. Anne sidestepped this by marrying Timothy in Scotland.
Shortly after Zara’s birth, it was widely rumoured that Princess Anne and Mark were having marital troubles. The pair were rarely seen together, with Anne being busy with her royal engagements.
The former couple often went abroad without each other and were notably apart during their 15th wedding anniversary.
When Buckingham Palace confirmed their separation, the statement read: “Her Royal Highness, the Princess Royal, and Capt. Mark Phillips have decided to separate on terms agreed between them. There are no plans for divorce proceedings.”
At the time, PA said that the terms of the separation were private and that Princess Anne would continue to live with the children at her home in Gatcombe Park, which the Queen gave to the couple in 1976.
They also added that Mark, who moved to a farm two miles away on the Gatcombe Park estate, would have full access to the children.
