Peter Phillips, the son of Princess Anne, has shared insights into the royal family’s last moments with the late Queen Elizabeth II, who tragically passed away in September 2022. Speaking candidly in an interview with Sky News Australia, King Charles’s 46-year-old nephew expressed gratitude for being in Scotland before her passing, describing himself as “fortunate.”
He said: “I was lucky to be in Scotland before she passed and actually having those few days with her, just in Scotland, just as a family, before she left Balmoral – that was really nice.
“Looking back on it, it’s still quite emotional, that part was a proper family moment,” he said. “And then obviously when she left Balmoral it became more of a public grieving.”
He continued: “In many ways we’d had our quiet moment with her, we’d said our goodbyes, so whilst it still wasn’t particularly easy, it was easier to be able to share the public’s grief for her.”
In another part of the interview, Peter commended the Prince and Princess of Wales, lauding them as an exceptional duo. Despite the challenging months the royal couple has faced due to various health struggles within the family, Peter expressed admiration for Princess Kate, describing her as “remarkable” and emphasizing, “Together, she and William form an extraordinary team.”
Reflecting on their family life with their three children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, he also told Caroline Di Russo: “Their kids are great and they have the balance of public life and trying to be parents to three young children which is always difficult.
“They’ve got it pretty right because I think as history has taught us and anyone knows that actually you want to be there for your children.”
Peter has maintained a strong bond with his first cousins, including Prince William and Prince Harry, for many years. During their youth, the royal siblings frequently visited the late Queen’s royal residences, such as Sandringham and Balmoral.
During an interview with Good Morning Britain in 2016, Peter explained: “We had a lot of fun and there was a lot of space for kids to run around in, and it wasn’t just us – it was the Wales’ (William and Harry), Freddie and Ella Windsor (Prince and Princess Michael of Kent’s children), and the Gloucesters (Alexander Windsor, Earl of Ulster, Lady Davina Lewis and Lady Rose Gilman, the children of the Queen’s cousin, Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester).”
He continued: “So there was quite a gang of us growing up in that age and it was a lot of fun. We caused quite a bit of mayhem and chaos but fortunately I don’t think we broke too much!”
