Red hot and royal! The world’s most eligible princes
As Peter Phillips joins the ranks of royal singletons, we review some of the globe's royal bachelors
Princess Anne’s son hit the headlines this week when news broke that he and his partner, Lindsay Wallace, have ended their three-year relationship.
Peter, 46, a popular but low-key member of the Royal Family, is understood to have split from the mum-of-two (a former school friend of his sister, Zara Tindall) several months ago due to ‘work and family commitments’. He has two daughters Savannah, 13 and Isla, 12, with ex-wife Autumn Kelly. They separated in 2019.
Peter, who travels the world as head of partner acquisition for CSM Sport & Entertainment agency and as an ambassador for ISPS Handa, now rejoins the rarefied ranks of the world’s most eligible male royals.
So, we couldn’t resist running an extract from Red Hot & Royal written by Maria for a WOMAN Royal Special.
SCREEN IDOL: Prince Achileas-Andreas of Greece and Denmark
Fondly known as Achi to his nearest and dearest. Prince Achi, 23, is a New York University graduate and his sights are firmly set on being a successful actor. After making his American TV debut on The Bold and the Beautiful, his first film role is a small part in No Hard Feelings, a 2023 comedy starring Jennifer Lawrence.
His family are related to the late Prince Philip and are famously well connected to UK and European royal houses. His late grandfather, Constantine II, was Greece’s last king before the monarchy was abolished in 1973. His big brother, Prince Constantine (Tino) is dating Brit socialite/model, Poppy Delevingne, and his mum is Princess Marie-Chantal. Follow Achi here.
CHARITABLE ‘KING’: Padmanabh Singh, Maharaja of Jaipur
His friends and family call him Pacho, and although his Maharaja title is no longer officially recognised, this 25-year-old is considered ‘king’ of Jaipur, being the great-grandson of the last Maharaja of India’s beautiful Pink City in Rajasthan.
He’s a talented polo player, competing professionally since 2015 and, as a member of the Guards Polo Club in Windsor, you can find him playing alongside Prince William. A shared passion for polo brought his family close to our royals. His grandfather became mates with the-then Prince Charles, who is Pacho’s godfather. His estimated wealth is £650 million and in 2019 he became the first royal on Airbnb. All proceeds from his City Palace’s Gudliya Suite helps rural women and artisans in Rajasthan.
KIND-HEARTED ROYAL: Heinrich Donatus, Hereditary Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe
Heinrich is another European prince distantly related to our Prince Philip, and this German prince has been doing all he can to help Ukrainian refugees. In March 2022, he wrote in Tatler about his volunteer work with Interhelp, providing aid and medical support at the border of Ukraine and Poland because he wanted to “deliver a sense of humanity to people in need”.
The 29-year-old also has the distinction of rising to Second Lieutenant in our own Household Cavalry Life Guards before leaving in 2016. His full title is Hereditary Prince Ernst-August Alexander Wilhelm Bernhard Krafft Heinrich Donatus of Schaumburg-Lippe. No wonder his mum just calls him Teddy. Follow him on @donschaumbu.
CHAMPION RACER: Albert II, Prince of Thurn und Taxis
Although he’s been linked to numerous women, no one has ever won this billionaire prince’s heart. He’s the princely head of one of Germany’s noble families and estimated to be sitting on a $1.6 billion fortune. Albert also lives in the family’s massive and beautiful Bavarian palace, St Emmeram.
He's a clever clogs too, graduating from the University of Edinburgh with a degree in economics and theology, then earning a doctorate in philosophy. But his passion lies in motor racing and rally driving. This 40-year-old basically lives for nothing else, so it’s a good job he’s a formidable driver, winning a German championship back in 2010.
ACTION MAN: Prince Sebastien of Luxembourg
Sebastien is sixth in line to the Luxembourger throne and this Tuesday sees him celebrating his 32nd birthday. Sebastien is the outdoorsy type and likes skiing, swimming, climbing and rugby (he was selected for the Under 18s national team).
He’s also a walking talking royal version of Duolingo, speaking Luxembourgish (naturally), French, English, German and even a bit of Spanish. He was educated in the UK (Sunningdale School and Ampleforth College) then, after university, he completed his officer training at Sandhurst, before joining the Luxembourg army in September 2017.
Prince William and George spotted at the footy
It was lovely to see William and George having a father-son day out on Thursday, as the pair went to cheer on Aston Villa at a match in Birmingham. George sported a team scarf and they celebrated when their team won 2-1 to Lille. It’s the first time members of the Wales family have been seen in public since Catherine’s cancer announcement on March 22.
William also took to Twitter (X) to thank Lioness Rachel Daly as she retired from the Lionesses. Thank you for so many unforgettable performances,” he posted, adding, “Plenty more goals for Villa now! W”
Charles notes his notes
We bet he got a little thrill out of this - the King got to see the first banknotes with his face on them, when Andrew Bailey, Governor of The Bank of England, and Sarah John, Chief Cashier and Executive Director of Banking presented him with them. The new money will go into circulation on June 5. The late Queen famously never carried cash, we wonder if the King does. He has an excuse now, anyway.
Changing of the Guard, French-style
Bonjour France – to mark 120 years of the Entente Cordiale, French and British troops swapped roles at the Changing of the Guard, on Monday. The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh watched the ceremony in London and President Macron in Paris. On their State Visit to France, last year, the King said in a speech, “The connections between our people are myriad, and represent the lifeblood of our Entente Cordiale, which was inspired by my great-great grandfather, King Edward VII.
“As we look ahead to the 120th anniversary … it is incumbent upon us all to reinvigorate our friendship to ensure it is fit for the challenges of this, the 21st Century.” Tres bien.
Diana’s ‘80s outfits up for auction
Some of Diana’s famous 1980s outfits will feature in an auction this summer. Los Angeles-based Julien’s Auctions will tour the clothes in an exhibition called Princess Diana Elegance & Royal Collection, before holding the sale at The Museum of Style Icons in Ireland on 27 June. Highlights include Diana’s Murray Arbeid gown and a Catherine Walker skirt suit.