Peter Phillips recently wed Harriet Sperling at All Saints Church in Gloucestershire. The ceremony was marked by the absence of Felicity Wade, the daughter of Heather Tonkin and Mark Phillips.

The Empty Seat at All Saints Church in Kemble

The wedding of Peter Phillips and Harriet Sperling on Saturday took place at All Saints Church in Kemble, Gloucestershire , but the guest list revealed a fractured family tree.. While the media focused on Prince Harry's absence, the report says that Felicity Wade, the 40-year-old daughter of Captain Mark Phillips, also remained far from the festivities in Auckland, New Zealand.

The absence of Felicity Wade from the recent wedding is a continuation of a pattern of avoidance that spans decades. Felicity Wade did not attend the 2011 wedding of Zara Phillips to Mike Tindall,nor did she appear at the 2008 nuptials of Peter Phillips to Autumn Kelly. This suggests a permanent severance between the New Zealand-based veterinarian and her paternal relatives.

The £6,000 'Equestrian Consultancy' Payments

The rift began with a 1984 affair between Captain Mark Phillips and Heather Tonkin, a New Zealand art teacher. According to the source, the relationship resulted in the birth of Felicity Wade in 1985, while Captain Mark Phillips was still married to Princess Anne. The fallout from this union was characterized by secrecy and financial disputes.

Financial arrangements for Felicity Wade were handled with extreme discretion to avoid royal scandal. For five years, Captain Mark Phillips reportedly made secret payments of £6,000 per year to Heather Tonkin, which were curiously labeled as an 'equestrian consultancy'.. These payments eventually became inconsistent, leading Heather Tonkin to go public with the situation in 1991.

A Childhood Spent Believing Mark Phillips Was Dead

The psychological toll on Felicity Wade was significant, as she was allegedly told her father had passed away. The report says she lived under this falsehood until the age of eight, a lie reportedly maintained with the help of an aide to Captain Mark Phillips. This deception created a foundation of mistrust that persists today.

This narrative of exclusion stands in stark contrast to the lives of Felicity's half-siblings, Zara and Stephanie. While the latter grew up within the orbit of the British royal family, Felicity Wade was kept in the shadows, a dynamic that echoes the broader historical tendency of the monarchy to isolate non-traditional family members to protect the public image of the crown.

Felicity Wade's Quiet Life in Auckland

Felicity Wade now leads a professional life in New Zealand as an equine veterinarian and is married to Tristan Wade, a British polo player. Despite sharing a passion for horses with her half-siblings, Zara and Stephanie, she remains socially disconnected. In 2011, her grandmother, Dr. Shirley Tonkin, stated that the family was content to live separately and did not even watch royal weddings on television.

Several details regarding the Phillips family's internal dynamics remain unverified. It is unclear which specific aide helped maintain the lie about Mark Phillips's death, and the source does not clarify if there has been any private outreach from Zara or Peter Phillips in recent years. additionally, the report only presents the accounts of Heather Tonkin and Dr. Shirley Tonkin, leaving the perspective of the Phillips family largely absent.