Princess Anne's secret stepdaughter revealed amid family mystery
- Princess Anne has been engaging with Gurkha personnel in Gloucestershire.
- Her first marriage to Mark Phillips ended in divorce after a scandal involving an affair and a secret child.
- Felicity Tonkin, the child from the affair, has never met her half-siblings, highlighting the complexities of their family relationships.
In Gloucestershire, Princess Anne, the 73-year-old sister of King Charles, has been actively engaging with Gurkha personnel and their families. She is recognized as a dedicated member of the Royal Family and is married to Sir Tim Laurence, a former Royal Navy officer, since 1992. Anne has two children, Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall, from her first marriage to Mark Phillips, an Olympic equestrian. Their marriage, which began in 1973, ended in divorce in 1992 following a scandal involving Phillips fathering a child with a New Zealand art teacher, Heather Tonkin. This revelation led to significant media attention and public scrutiny of the Royal Family. The child, Felicity Tonkin, born in 1985, was kept secret for several years until DNA tests confirmed her paternity. Despite the scandal, Felicity has never met her half-siblings, Zara and Peter, who maintain a relationship with their half-sister Stephanie Phillips from their father's second marriage. Stephanie has included Zara and Peter's children in her wedding plans, indicating a level of familial connection despite the complexities of their family dynamics. This situation highlights the ongoing challenges and public interest surrounding the personal lives of the Royal Family, particularly in light of past controversies.