Real reason so many royals STILL live with their exes despite bitter splits – including Peter and Autumn Phillips
MILLIONS of Brits are glued to their TV screens as royal couples tie the knot in lavish ceremonies – but a number of these marriages have later gone through high-profile divorces.
While many divorced partners would try to move on with their lives separately, somehow a number of former royal flames STILL live together.
One of the most famous royal pairings to live amicably under the same roof are Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew, who reside together at Royal Lodge.
Meanwhile, Peter Phillips still lives closeby to ex wife Autumn at Gatcombe Park in Gloucester, following their split.
And they aren’t the only upper class couple to make close quarters work after a bitter split.
But why is this common among royals?
Royal editor Ingrid Seward told Fabulous: “All those estates have a lot of estate cottages, but they usually have tenants in them.
“It depends on whether they have got a free one at the time, the Phillips’ did, and that helped him because otherwise he’d have to be buying a house for Autumn.
“I think it has a lot to do with the fact that they didn’t want to buy any more property.”
Here, we look at the royal couples who still live in close proximity to each other…
Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew
They may have divorced over 25 years ago but royal couple Prince Andrew and Fergie have proved they are still the best of friends.
The former couple were married on July 23 1986 and divorced ten years later in 1996.
According to reports at the time, Andrew’s naval duties meant he spent long periods of time away and it took its toll on their relationship.
However, there appear to be no hard feelings as Fergie moved back in with him and their daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, in 2008.
The couple have spoken previously about how they “never really left each other” and, in an interview on Australian radio last year, Fergie was asked if she would ever remarry Prince Andrew. She replied: “I always think ‘have we really?’ We’re divorced to each other right now.
“We’ve never really left each other.”
The 'cursed' royal honeymoon choice
HAVING the dream honeymoon is one of the best parts of getting married.
But there is one destination that has proved to be cursed for the British royal family, with every single marriage ending in divorce.
A total of four royal couples have opted to spend their honeymoon on the Royal Yacht Britannia, and it didn’t end well for any of them.
The doomed newlyweds who chose a seafaring holiday are Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips, Prince Charles and Princess Diana, Princess Margaret and Antony Armstrong-Jones, and Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson.
Peter Phillips and Autumn Phillips
Princess Anne’s son Peter Phillips and Canadian-born management consultant Autumn Kelly wed in 2008 in Windsor.
However, the marriage didn’t last, and in February 2020, Peter confirmed he was divorcing wife Autumn, saying “it’s sad but is best for the kids”.
Peter and Autumn have two girls, Savannah Anne Kathleen, born on December 29, 2010, and Isla Elizabeth, born March 29, 2012.
After his marriage broke down it was revealed the couple and their children would still live on the Gatcombe Park estate in Gloucester but in separate homes.
After his divorce from Autumn, Peter started a relationship with Lindsay in 2021, even introducing her to his late grandmother, the Queen, but they have since split too.
Princess Anne and Captain Phillips
Captain Mark Phillips was thrown into the spotlight when he married Queen Elizabeth II‘s only daughter, Princess Anne.
But after years of marriage that was filled with reported affairs, they announced their separation in 1973.
Gatcombe Park was divided when the Princess Royal and Mark Phillips were divorced.
The Princess now lives at the estate with her second husband, Sir Timothy Laurence.
After the divorce, for some years Mark Phillips lived at Aston Farm on the estate with his second wife, equestrian Sandy Pflueger, but he later moved to the United States after they divorced.
Zara and Mike Tindall now live at Aston Farm with their three kids, Mia Grace and Lena Elizabeth, and son, Lucas Philip.