Princes William and Harry have been feuding for yearsA Royal wedding appears to be in the works as a beloved family member has announced his engagement.
Peter Phillips, son of Princess Anne, has revealed that he proposed to his girlfriend Harriet Sperling after dating for a year. His fiancé has been spotted at several high-profile events, including Royal Ascot.
King Charles, Peter’s uncle, and his close cousin Prince William, along with his wife Kate, are reportedly thrilled with the news. While no date has been set for the wedding yet, speculation is rife about who might score an invitation, especially since Peter is known to be close to both his estranged cousins, William and Prince Harry.
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This comes on the heels of reports that two major royals will “never forgive” Prince Harry despite hopes of reconciliation. Former BBC Royal correspondent Jennie Bond believes the guest list could prove tricky but anticipates there might be a surprise, reports the Mirror.
Peter Phillips is engaged to Harriet Sperling(Image: Tim Merry/Staff Photographer)Speaking to The Mirror UK, she said, “It seems that Harriet is already a hit in the Royal family. It was quite an accolade for her to be invited to join the carriage procession at Royal Ascot, and she was seen chatting animatedly with the King.
“Given that both she and Peter are divorced, I suspect their wedding may be a fairly low-key civil ceremony. But Peter is very popular in the family and so the reception could well be at Windsor Castle or another royal residence.
“As with all weddings, there will be a conundrum about who to invite. Peter was always very close to both William and Harry. During the difficult times he has been something of a buffer, for example, walking between them at the funeral of their grandfather, Prince Philip.
“However, it’s going to be awkward for him to invite them both to his wedding. On the other hand, both William and Harry attended the funeral of their uncle, Lord Fellowes, and even though they were in the same church and then the same room it seems they did not speak. So, anything is possible.
“All things considered, it might be better for Peter and Harriet to have a quiet wedding with just a few friends and family present.”
Peter and Harriet were both married before(Image: UK Press via Getty Images)Peter, 47, was previously married to Autumn Kelly, with whom he has two daughters, Isla and Savannah. He also dated long-term partner Lindsay Wallace before they split last year, and he later found love with Harriet, an NHS nurse.
In April 2024, it was revealed that Peter had split with his previous girlfriend Lindsay, who was said to have amicably separated due to work commitments proving a stumbling block for the pair. His split with Lindsay came four years after it was announced Peter and ex-wife Autumn had called time on their marriage after 12 years – marking a tumultuous time for his love life.
Peter wed his first wife Autumn in May 2008 during a spectacular ceremony at St George’s Chapel in Windsor, with attendees including the late Queen and Prince Philip along with his cousin Prince Harry. While Prince William couldn’t attend, the Princess of Wales received an invitation despite being single at the time – and it’s thought the wedding was her first encounter with the late Queen.
The pair lived in Hong Kong due to Peter’s former role with the Royal Bank of Scotland before returning to the UK with their two daughters Savannah, 14, who was the late Queen’s eldest great-grandchild, and Isla, 13.
But near the end of 2019, the pair split and announced they had made the tough decision in a heartfelt statement in 2020.
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