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Mark PhillipsBritish equestrian athlete
Date of Birth: 22.09.1948
Country:  Great Britain |
Content:
Biography of Mark Phillips
Mark Anthony Peter Phillips was a British equestrian and Olympic champion in the sport of eventing. He was born in a military family to Major Peter William Garside Phillips and Anne Patricia Phillips (née Tiarks). He received his education at Stouts Hill School and Marlborough College before attending the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.
After graduating from the academy, Phillips was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Royal Dragoon Guards in July 1969. He was promoted to Lieutenant in January 1971 and eventually became a Captain by early 1974. He served as a personal aide-de-camp to Queen Elizabeth II before leaving the army on March 30, 1978.
Despite leaving the military, Phillips continued to use his rank of Captain. Although typically only officers with the rank of Major or higher can use their titles in retirement, cavalry junior officers whose civilian jobs are related to equestrian sports are also allowed to use their ranks.
In 1972, Phillips was a member of the British eventing team that won the gold medal at the Munich Olympics. He also won a silver medal at the Seoul Olympics in 1988. Phillips achieved success in the Badminton Horse Trials, winning in 1971, 1972, 1974, and 1981. He currently writes for the magazine "Horse & Hound" and remains a prominent figure in the British equestrian world.
From 2003 to 2005, Phillips worked as the head coach of the United States eventing team. It was during this time that he met Princess Anne, the only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh. Rumors of their relationship began circulating after Anne competed in the Badminton Horse Trials, where Phillips emerged as the winner in 1971. The royal family initially denied the rumors, but on May 30, 1973, their engagement was announced.
Their marriage faced mixed reactions within the royal family. Prince Charles remarked that Anne couldn't marry her horse, implying that she settled for Phillips. Queen Elizabeth II herself said, "I wouldn't be surprised if their children are born with four hooves." However, the Queen Mother believed they were a perfect match, as if a computer had chosen the couple.
Mark Phillips and Princess Anne were married on November 14, 1973, at Westminster Abbey. Phillips initially served as an instructor at Sandhurst before being transferred to the Ministry of Defense. Queen Elizabeth II gifted the newlyweds Gatcombe Park, an estate in Gloucestershire. However, Phillips declined the offered title.
On March 20, 1974, Princess Anne and Mark Phillips were attacked by a mentally unstable individual while traveling in a royal limousine. Several individuals, including their bodyguard, driver, policeman, and journalist, were injured in the incident.
During their marriage, Mark Phillips and Princess Anne had two children: Peter Mark Andrew Phillips (born 1977) and Zara Anne Elizabeth Phillips (born 1981). The couple divorced on April 28, 1992.
In 1997, Mark Phillips married Sandy Pfluger, an American equestrian who competed in the 1984 Olympics. They have a daughter named Stephanie, born on October 2, 1997.
