Peter Phillips has opened up about the last moments he spent with his late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, in Scotland.
The 46-year-old royal, the son of Princess Anne and her first husband, Captain Mark Phillips, said on September 8, 2022 that he was “lucky to be in Scotland before she passed away.”
In a interview with Sky News AustraliaPeter reflected on the ‘few days’ they shared ‘as a family’ and described that time as ‘really nice’.
“Looking back on it, it’s still quite emotional, that part was a real family moment,” he revealed.
“And when she left Balmoral, it obviously became more of a public mourning.
Peter Phillips reflected on the time he spent with his grandmother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, in Scotland before her death on September 8, 2022
“In many ways we had had our quiet moment with her, we had said goodbye, so while it still wasn’t particularly easy, it was easier to share the audience’s grief for her.”
Peter, a businessman, described the late queen as ‘remarkable in so many ways’.
He emphasized that “she was a figurehead who was part of everyone’s lives for as long as people could remember,” and also spoke from a personal perspective.
“It was unique to have her as a grandmother and role model,” he said.
Reflecting on the impression the monarch and the late Duke of Edinburgh left on all members of the royal family, he credited his grandparents with teaching them to ‘grow up and behave’.
Peter suggested that he had a close bond with his grandparents, explaining that having them around for a significant part of his life has led to “a greater bond, a greater respect and a greater ability to love them can learn’.
He spoke fondly of the time he and his cousins spent with Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, where they sat together and talked about their lives, adding that it was “fascinating because it was a different part of history.” .
Moving on to King Charles III, Peter complimented his uncle on the way he had handled the transition, keeping with much of what his parents had introduced while making his own mark.
Peter credits his grandparents, the late Queen and the late Duke of Edinburgh, with teaching the rest of the royal family how to behave
Pictured: the late Queen Elizabeth, Princess Anne and her children together in Windsor in 1985
Pictured: Prince William, Prince Harry and Peter Phillips arriving for Committal Service at St George’s Chapel in 2022, after the Queen’s death
Commenting on King Charles’ reign, he added: ‘I think that’s probably the biggest testament to both of them – that he’s doing things his way, but with a nod to the way they’ve always done it and to the heart of what they have taught us. .’
Earlier in the interview, Peter also spoke about his relationship with his mother, Princess Anne, who he described as “hugely influential” to both himself and his sister, Zara Tindall.
He seemed particularly impressed by his 73-year-old mother’s work ethic, which Peter said stems from his grandparents, who both worked well into their 90s.
Peter discussed the Princess Royal’s love of being with her loved ones amid a hectic schedule that sees her handling “overseas travel within 24 hours.”
The king’s sister – who is often dubbed the ‘hardest working royal’ and carried out 457 royal engagements in 2023 – has been called ‘remarkable’ by her eldest child.
“Her mentality is, ‘Listen, I can go in there, do what we need to do and come back,’” he told the program.
“She really values her time at home and values her time with Tim and the family and the dogs and the horses and that’s a really important part of the structure of her week.
‘To really relax and achieve some form of normality.’