As members of The Royal Family prepare to gather for Peter Phillips’ wedding to Harriet Sperling this weekend, one relative is expected to be missing from the celebrations.
King Charles, Queen Camilla and the Prince and Princess of Wales are among the royals believed to be attending the ceremony at All Saints’ Church in Gloucestershire on Saturday. Peter’s close-knit extended family is also expected to be well represented.
However, one little-known member of the family is unlikely to be among the guests.
Felicity Tonkin, the daughter of Captain Mark Phillips and New Zealand art teacher Heather Tonkin, is Peter and Zara Tindall’s half-sister. Despite sharing the same father, Felicity does not have any relationship with either of Princess Anne’s children.
Her existence became public in 1991 when it emerged that Captain Mark had fathered a daughter during his marriage to Princess Anne. DNA testing subsequently confirmed his paternity.
Felicity was born in New Zealand in August 1985 following a brief relationship between Mark Phillips and Heather Tonkin. The revelation sparked one of the most significant royal scandals of the era and came during the final years of Anne and Mark’s marriage, which formally ended in divorce in 1992.
Now aged 40, Felicity has built a life far away from the royal spotlight. Like her half-sister Zara, she developed a love of horses and went on to become a specialist equine veterinarian.
Over the years, reports have consistently suggested that Felicity has never met Peter or Zara. She was not present at Peter’s wedding to Autumn Phillips in 2008, nor at Zara’s marriage to Mike Tindall three years later.
Family members have previously indicated that she has chosen to maintain a private life in New Zealand rather than pursue any connection with the Royal Family.
Friends have described Felicity as content with her life away from public attention. In comments previously attributed to her, she suggested she had considered telling her side of the story but preferred not to create difficulties for others, instead choosing to live quietly.
Stephanie is the daughter of Captain Mark Phillips and his second wife, Sandy Pflueger, and grew up on the Gatcombe Estate alongside Princess Anne’s family. She has remained close to Peter and Zara throughout her life, serving as a flower girl at both of their weddings and regularly attending family occasions.
When Stephanie married William Hosier in 2022, Peter and Zara were among the guests, while several of their children played important roles in the ceremony.
As a result, Stephanie is widely expected to attend Peter’s wedding this weekend, while Felicity is unlikely to make the journey from New Zealand.
