All About Peter Phillips, Harry & William's 'Middle Man'

With all eyes on Prince Harry and Prince William at their grandfather Prince Philip's funeral procession, people can't help wondering about the man who who walked between them — Peter Phillips.

Phillips, 43, is the oldest son of Princess Anne and her former husband, Captain Mark Phillips. Peter the first grandchild born to Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. He has one sister, Zara.

He may only be 17th in line to the throne, but Peter — a marketing consultant by trade — has often been referred to by royal insiders as Queen Elizabeth's favorite grandson.

Oddly, Peter Phillips has no royal titles — but that's because his mother, though born to a queen, had no hereditary title and was said to have turned down an offer by her mother for her kids to have royal titles.

Because of that, Peter is simply Master Phillips.

Peter has a lifelong close bond with Harry and William, according to People magazine. When Princess Diana died in 1997, Peter and Zara went to Queen Elizabeth's estate in Scotland, Balmoral, where they provided peer support to Harry and William, who were ensconced there to weather the media storm and to navigate their grief.

At another time of grieving, the Queen Mother's 2002 funeral, Peter was alongside William and Harry — though, it is worth noting, not standing between them.

Phillips split with his Canadian wife Autumn Phillips in February 2020 after 12 years of marriage and two daughters, Savannah and Isla. He last made news in 2020, when he was accused of defying lockdown restrictions to visit a woman in Scotland. In spite of the ensuing negative attention, it was determined he was there on a business trip, and thus not in breach.