Queen Elizabeth's grandson and wife announce divorce after 11 years of marriage

Queen Elizabeth's oldest grandson has announced that he and his wife are getting a divorce.

A spokesperson for Peter Phillips, 42, released a statement Tuesday morning in the wake of tabloid reports that he and his wife of 11 years, Autumn Phillips, 41, are ending their marriage.

"After informing HM The Queen and members of both families last year, Peter and Autumn jointly agreed to separate,'' they said in their statement. "They had reached the conclusion that this was the best course of action for their two children and ongoing friendship. The decision to divorce and share custody came about after many months of discussions and although sad, is an amicable one."

Buckingham Palace did not have any comment on the separation.

The couple got married in May 2008 in St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, which was the site of the wedding between Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, in 2018.

They said in the statement that their priority remains their two daughters, Savannah, 9, and Isla, 7, who have been been playmates with the children of Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. Savannah and Isla have been seen having a blast with Prince George, 6, and Princess Charlotte, 4, at the queen's annual Trooping the Colour birthday celebration.

Autumn Phillips is Canadian but will not be returning to her home country, where Harry and Meghan have made their new home after taking a step back from their royal duties last month.

Autumn will remain living in Gloucestershire, where she and Peter plan to co-parent their children, according to the statement.

Peter Phillips is the son of Princess Anne and her first husband, Captain Mark Phillips, and does not have a royal title because he is descended from the female line. According to the BBC, Princess Anne rejected an offer from the queen to give her children titles at the time of their births.

While Peter is a member of the British royal family, he is not a senior member or working royal, so he doesn't have the title His Royal Highness like that of Prince William or Prince Harry (until recently).

"Peter and Autumn have requested privacy and compassion for their children while the family continues to adapt to these changes,'' they said in the statement.