Royal Love Child!

One of the royal family’s most shocking scandals has been kept hidden under wraps for nearly four decades... until now

In a move that is sure to rock the monarchy, New Idea can exclusively reveal intimate details about the affair involving Princess Anne’s former husband, Captain Mark Phillips.

Over 20 years ago, Phillips fathered a secret love child with New Zealander Heather Tonkin. The little girl, Felicity, was just four years younger than her royal half-sister, Zara. However, royal sources have revealed to New Idea that Mark has ‘been in denial’ about his daughter since the day she was born.

‘He just never accepted it and couldn’t cope with it,’ says a close friend.

Mark and Heather – a former art teacher and model – are believed to have met at an Auckland riding clinic when the former army captain was still married to Princess Anne.

The pair were alleged to have indulged in a one-night stand at a nearby hotel. When Heather found out a month later that she was pregnant, a shocked Mark tried to convince her to have an abortion.