As the future king of the United Kingdom, Prince William can use the support of people around him. Someone who has been by his side for years (and who he even grew up with) is his cousin, Peter Phillips.
Peter Phillips is the eldest child of Princess Anne and Mark Phillips and the older cousin of Prince William. From a young age he has had a strong bond with his nephew, with whom he is almost five years apart. And Peter now also has a good relationship with Catherine, the Princess of Wales.
Eldest of his generation
As the eldest grandchild of the late Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, Peter has taken on the role of the “protective” eldest grandchild, says royalty journalist Emily Nash in Hello Magazine. “He understands how the royal family and the institution work, but he does not have the titles and responsibilities himself. He approaches matters pragmatically, with common sense and can be a reliable sounding board for the future king.”
Grew up together
It is not surprising that the cousins have a good bond, since they grew up together. The grandchildren of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip were regularly seen together at royal functions. Below you see the young Prince William with his cousin Peter and his niece Zara Trooping the Colour in 1984 and see a photo of the late Princess Diana with Prince William and Peter Phillips at Easter in 1987.
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In Good Morning Britain Peter Phillips shared memories of his youth with his cousins in 2016. “We were with a lot of growing children of the same age and that was a lot of fun. We caused quite a bit of chaos,” said Princess Anne’s son.
Even as the boys grew older, the bond between William and Peter remained good. In 1997, when William’s mother Princess Diana died, Peter was present Balmoral Castle to assist Princes William and Harry. At that time he would have gone for a lot of walks with them in the area around the Scottish castle.
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Princes William and Harry and their cousin Peter Phillips in 2000.
“A fantastic team”
In an interview with the Australian Sky News earlier this year [nog voor het nieuws over de kankerdiagnose van Catherine red.] tells Peter Phillips about the good relationship he has with the family of his cousin and his wife. This shows great admiration for the princely couple. “She and William are a fantastic team. They have wonderful children and have a good balance between their public life and parenthood,” Phillips said.
Peter Phillips, Queen Elizabeth and Prince William in 2016.
Sources: ANP, X @MelanieKR56, Sky News, Good Morning Britain, Hello Magazine
