The Queen’s grandson is using his royal connections to sell milk on Chinese TV.
In a fresh twist to the row over Harry and Meghan seeking ‘financial independence’, Peter Phillips appears in two adverts for a state-owned dairy firm.
The 42-year-old son of Princess Anne is seen holding a glass of milk in front of a stately home, with the caption: ‘British Royal Family member Peter Phillips.’
‘British royal family member Peter Phillips’ — how Anne’s son is presented on the ad he signs off
Thirsty work: Phillips takes a swig of milk
Drink, sir: A ‘Palace’ footman serves Phillips his drink on a silver salver
Mr Phillips, who grew up on his mother’s estate in Gloucestershire, boasts in the advert of being brought up on Jersey milk from the herd at Windsor.
A spokesman for Longleat House, the Wiltshire property used in the commercial, said permission had not been granted.
The revelation will intensify the row about ‘royals for rent’, as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex embark on their new lives.
Harry and Meghan have had to promise not to use their HRH titles to cash in as they set about becoming ‘financially independent’.
Mr Phillips and his sister Zara have never had HRH status, and both have come under scrutiny in the past for the way they make money.
Stately home: The massive country pile seen in the advert appears to be Longleat House in Wiltshire, complete with a royal carriage (circled)
He and his Canadian wife Autumn Kelly sold their 2008 wedding to Hello! magazine.
And last year he held meetings with colourful Chinese entrepreneur Dr Johnny Hon over a possible launch of a horse-racing private members’ club in Hong Kong.
Yesterday it emerged that the latest scheme for Mr Phillips – a first cousin of William and Harry – has been to promote ‘Jersey Fresh Milk’ in advertisements shown on television in Shanghai.
The potentially lucrative promotion could be worth tens of thousands of pounds. Mr Phillips did not respond to questions last night, including as to whether he was paid.
Two videos have been shown on Dragon TV. Filming appears to have been last year. The makers have spliced together footage of Longleat House with a replica of the state coach used by the Queen on state occasions, giving the film a regal feel.
Nagging doubts: A behind-the-scenes video reveals the advert was in fact filmed using green-screen trickery – but the horse is real, at least
The Jersey milk is sold by a multinational corporation called Bright Dairies, which is ultimately owned by the Shanghai municipal government.
In his advert, Mr Phillips gushes: ‘Bright Dairies has got a fantastic reputation all over China and outside of China as well, for producing high quality dairy products.’
The 30-second advert in Chinese opens with a set of intricate wrought-iron gates opening to a sweeping drive up to a palatial English country house.
A moment later, viewers see Peter Phillips, dressed in a black bow tie and dinner jacket, peering out of a high window.
Then the camera switches to an outside view again, showing a horse-drawn landau resembling the state coach drawing up to the grand set of stone steps.
Memories: Phillips – presented here with a milk churn – tells how ‘there was a herd of Jersey cattle at Windsor… we were brought up on it’
The gilded scene suggests Mr Phillips is watching the arrival of the monarch at a royal palace.
The next clip shows an opulent drawing room with a butler approaching Mr Phillips bearing a bottle of milk and glass on a silver platter.
A Chinese voice, apparently dubbing Mr Phillips, says: ‘I love to drink Jersey Milk.’ As the butler nods Mr Phillips takes a long gulp of milk from a glass.
With classical music playing, the scene turns to an aerial view of green rolling hills, with the caption in Chinese: ‘The royal estate of Britain – Jersey Island’.
Although the Channel Island of Jersey is a Crown dependency, it is not usually described as part of the royal ‘estate’.
Idyllic: The advert cuts to a grazing herd of cattle
Then follows a tranquil scene of five Jersey cows munching on grass in what appears to be a mountainous terrain with snowy peaks, with the Chinese voice saying: ‘For centuries, the Jersey cows are protected by British law.’
The advert introduces the Chinese version of Jersey milk, named Guangming Zhiyou. It appears this is produced from a herd of ‘pure breed’ Jersey cows in China.
Mr Phillips next appears, in an expensive-looking three-piece suit, opening the door of a fridge filled with bottles of ‘Jersey Cattle’ milk. ‘Fresh is what I want,’ says the voice. ‘Indulge in freshness and richness.’
The Chinese captions on the screen translate as: ‘Quality British product’ and ‘This is the fresh milk I love to drink.’
Accompanying the advert is a one-and-a-half-minute video in English, which appears to show Mr Phillips making the ad and explaining his role.
‘Hello, my name is Peter Phillips,’ he begins. If Chinese viewers do not recognise him, the next scene shows the Queen’s golden landau trundling into view.
Mr Phillips waxes lyrical about his love of ‘sampling other cultures’, before telling viewers: ‘As children, we used to spend a lot of time down at the dairy. There was a herd of Jersey cattle at Windsor and we were brought up on it.
‘And it was always much fuller of flavour, much creamier, than other milks that we had growing up. That has something to do with the way the cows are bred.’
He says the ‘well looked after’ cows ‘do produce fantastic milk’, as the camera shows him taking appreciative sips from a glass and nodding contentedly.
Mr Phillips says: ‘It’s a privilege for me to be able to represent Bright Dairies in this exciting new project to bring jersey milk to China. Hopefully it will be a huge success.’ There is a huge market for quality milk in China and Bright Dairy & Food Co Ltd is one of the leading companies there.
Taking a break: Phillips enjoys a drink while looking out at the Shanghai skyline
Last night Buckingham Palace declined to comment. A source said the royal landau in the film was a ‘replica’ of the Queen’s coach and pointed out that Mr Phillips had never held a royal title nor been a working member of the royal family.
The source said he was a private individual, and suggested it would not be for the palace to comment on his private business.
Sources insisted Mr Phillips was not trading on his royal connections, saying the word ‘royal’ was not used.
However the Chinese advert prominently describes him as ‘British royal family member Peter Phillips’.
Mr Phillips did not respond to requests for comment.