2024 - Peter + Autumn Phillips after divorce: It's not just them who still live together

Peter + Autumn Phillips
These two royals aren’t the only ones living under the same roof after their divorce

Peter and Autumn Phillips

Their life should be like a fairytale, after all they are royalty. But the royals also struggle with challenges – sometimes in love. Divorces are no longer an exception for the Windsors. However, one thing is surprising: some of the couples who have failed marriages do not want to separate physically.

The Yorks are probably the most prominent example of a divorced shared apartment in the British royal family: Prince Andrew, 64, and Sarah Ferguson, 64, have lived together in the Royal Lodge near Windsor Castle since 2008. When she moved in with him, they had already been divorced for twelve years. And Peter Phillips, 46, son of Princess Anne, 73, decided to continue living under the same roof with the mother of his two daughters after divorcing his wife Autumn, 45, three years ago. But what’s behind it?

Autumn and Peter Phillips check the finances

Royal expert Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of “Majesty Magazine”, has thought about the trend towards cohabitation after separation. Her assessment, which seems anything but fairytale-like: It’s simply about the despicable money. Members of the royal family also have to look at the costs.

“There are a number of country houses on all of these properties, but they are generally occupied by tenants,” Seward explains to The Sun, using Queen’s grandson Peter as an example: “It depends on whether they belong to the “Having a free house for a while, like Phillips did, and that helped him because otherwise he would have had to buy a house for Autumn. I think it had a lot to do with the fact that they didn’t want to buy another property.”

The ex-couple found a perfect solution for themselves. They both still live together on the Gatcombe Park site, although in different buildings. Probably the biggest advantage of this concept: Peter and Autumn can look after their girls Savannah, 13, and Isla, 12, equally.

The model for this arrangement is probably that of Peter’s mother Anne, who, after her separation from his father Mark Phillips, 75, also granted her ex the right to live on her private country estate for a few years. The eventing rider and horse trainer now lives in the USA with the American show jumper Lauren Hough, 47.

Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson had to worry about shared accommodation

Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson’s marriage ended in scandal, but the two are apparently still very fond of each other. The mother of their daughters Princess Beatrice, 35, and Princess Eugenie, 34, now even accompanies her ex to family appearances again. The two were last seen at this year’s Easter service in St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.

However, their shared nest Royal Lodge was at stake last year as a retirement home for the former couple. After his coronation, King Charles, 75, suggested that his younger brother give up the expensive property and set up his tent in Frogmore Cottage, the much smaller former British residence of Prince Harry, 39, and Duchess Meghan, 42. These plans are now apparently canceled Table.