Mark Phillips facts for kids
Phillips in 1980
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birth name | Mark Anthony Peter Phillips | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 22 September 1948 Tetbury, Gloucestershire, England |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse(s) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Horse riding | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Medal record
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Mark Anthony Peter Phillips (born 22 September 1948) is a famous English horseman. He won an Olympic gold medal for Great Britain in horse riding. He was also the first husband of Anne, Princess Royal, who is the daughter of Queen Elizabeth II. Mark Phillips has two children with Princess Anne. Today, he is still a very important person in British horse riding. He designs courses for horse events and writes for Horse & Hound magazine.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Mark Anthony Peter Phillips was born on 22 September 1948. His parents were Major Peter William Garside Phillips and Anne Patricia Phillips. He also had a younger sister named Sarah.
Mark Phillips went to Stouts Hill Preparatory School. After that, he studied at Marlborough College. He then attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, which is a famous military college.
Military Career Highlights
After finishing Sandhurst, Mark Phillips joined the British Army in July 1969. He became a Second Lieutenant in the 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards. He was promoted to Lieutenant in January 1971.
By the time he married Princess Anne in November 1973, he was an acting Captain. In January 1974, he became a special assistant to Queen Elizabeth II. He was officially promoted to captain in July 1975. Mark Phillips left the Army on 30 March 1978. Even after leaving, he continued to be called 'Captain Mark Phillips'. This is common for retired cavalry captains who work with horses.
Equestrian Achievements
Mark Phillips was a very talented horse rider. He was a reserve member for the British equestrian team at the 1968 Summer Olympics. He was part of the British team that won a world title in 1970. They also won a European title in 1971.
His biggest success was winning an Olympic gold medal in 1972. This was at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany. He won it with the British three-day event team. At the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, he won a silver medal with the British team.
Phillips also won the famous Badminton Horse Trials four times. He won in 1971, 1972, 1974, and 1981. He met Princess Anne through their shared love of horse riding. Their daughter, Zara Phillips, also became an Olympic medalist. She won a silver medal in the three-day event at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.
Today, Mark Phillips designs cross-country courses for horse events. He also writes columns for Horse & Hound magazine. He is the Chef d'Equipe (team leader) for the United States Eventing Team.
Personal Life and Family
Mark Phillips first met Princess Anne at a horse event in 1968. They got married on 14 November 1973, at Westminster Abbey. They have two children together: Peter (born 1977) and Zara (born 1981). As a wedding gift, Queen Elizabeth II bought them Gatcombe Park.
In August 1989, Princess Anne and Mark Phillips announced they would separate. They divorced on 23 April 1992. They continued to share care for their children.
On 1 February 1997, Mark Phillips married Sandy Pflueger. She was an American Olympic dressage rider. They had a daughter named Stephanie, born on 2 October 1997. Stephanie grew up near Princess Anne's family at Gatcombe Park. She was a bridesmaid at her half-sister Zara Tindall's wedding.
In May 2012, Mark Phillips and Sandy Pflueger separated. They later divorced.
In September 2022, Mark Phillips attended the service for his former mother-in-law, Elizabeth II, at St George's Chapel.
Honours and Awards
Mark Phillips has received several honours during his life.
- He was made a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO) in 1974.
- He has also received several Jubilee Medals from Queen Elizabeth II. These include the Silver Jubilee Medal (1977), Golden Jubilee Medal (2002), Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012), and Platinum Jubilee Medal (2022).
- In 2023, he received the King Charles III Coronation Medal.
- He was also given an honorary military appointment as Personal Aide-de-Camp to the Queen in 1974.
- From Norway, he received the Commander with Star of the Order of St. Olav in 1988.
Images for kids
-
The coat of arms granted to Mark Phillips's father, later inherited by Mark Phillips.
See also
In Spanish: Mark Phillips para niños
