The signs we missed that Peter and Autumn Phillips had split

Queen Elizabeth's grandson Peter Phillips and wife Autumn have confirmed their split, after almost 12 years of marriage, and it seems the writing was on the wall.

The couple said in a statement that divorce was "the best course of action for their two children and ongoing friendship".

Peter is the elder child and only son of Anne, Princess Royal, and her first husband, Captain Mark Phillips.

He is the eldest grandchild of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, and Zara Tindall's brother.

While the news came as a shock to royal followers, signs not all was well with the couple began months ago, with Peter, 42, attending events without his wife Autumn, 41.

The couple failed to attend Christmas Day celebrations with the rest royal family for service for the first time in years.

The couple has lived a more low-key lifestyle than the Queen's other grandchildren, however they usually join the family to walk from Sandringham House on Christmas Day and attend the service with their daughters Savannah, nine, and Isla, seven.

Then, a few weeks later. Peter was spotted attending church in Sandringham alone at St Mary Magdalene in Norfolk on 12 January.

Some of the last sightings of the couple together include the annual Easter Sunday Services at St Georges Chapel in Windsor Castle in 2019, at Trooping the Colour in June and the Highland Games Gathering in Braemar in September.

It is understood the couple continue to share their home in Gloucestershire to co-parent their daughters.

Autumn is a Canadian native and her children have dual citizenship, although there are no indicators she plans to move following split.