The Princess of Wales looked effortlessly elegant as she joined members of the Royal Family at the wedding of Peter Phillips and Harriet Sperling today.
Kate, 44, was the picture of poise as she arrived at Gloucestershire’s All Saints Church in a Roland Mouret £750 dress and Jane Taylor hat, alongside the Prince of Wales, 43.
The future Queen stepped out for the historic event with Prince William and was met with the sound of cheers from crowds of well-wishers who had gathered to catch a glimpse of the royal guests.
Harriet Sperling, a 45-year-old paediatric nurse specialist for the NHS, was photographed in a stunning Emilia Wickstead bridal gown as she stepped out at Gloucestershire’s All Saint’s Church, to exchange vows with Peter Phillips, 48.
Guests attending the private ceremony in Kemble, near Cirencester, included King Charles and Queen Camilla, as well as Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, with their respective husbands Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and Jack Brooksbank.
Marking one of the biggest royal occasions this year, the groom, who is the eldest grandchild of Queen Elizabeth II, and 19th in the line of succession, was also supported by his sister Zara, 45, and her husband, former rugby ace Mike Tindall.
Proving the private service was a real family affair, their children Mia, 12, Lena, seven, and Lucas Tindall, five, also attended the nuptials, alongside the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh.
Camilla beamed as she waved to well-wishers in a glamorous butter yellow hat and matching coat dress, while Zara, sister of the groom, stood out in a Rebecca Vallance dress and made a bold statement with silver heels to match.
However, one member of the Royal Family noticeably absent from the celebrations was the groom’s cousin, Prince Harry.
The Montecito-based Duke of Sussex, 41, is said to have ‘not spoken in years’ to Peter, and sources say the presence of his estranged brother, the Prince of Wales, at the Cotswolds event will also inevitably have played a part.
Meanwhile, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was reportedly not invited to the private ceremony as the monarchy continues its efforts to distance itself from the fallout surrounding his long-running scandal linked to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Princess Beatrice was among the first guests to arrive, seen driving in the passenger seat of a Range Rover and dressed in a floral green piece while sharing an umbrella with her husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi.
Her sister, Princess Eugenie, who is currently pregnant, was also in attendance with her husband, Jack Brooksbank. Today marks the first time the two sisters have been publicly seen since their palace rent revelations.
Today’s venue was located in Kemble near Cirencester, not far from mother-of-the-groom Princess Anne’s home at Gatcombe Park, Gloucestershire.
The festivities were organised by Bentley’s Entertainments, a blue-chip firm which oversaw David and Victoria Beckham’s wedding, multiple parties for Sir Elton John, Princess Eugenie’s Windsor nuptials to Jack Brooksbank and Peter’s 2008 ceremony to his first wife Autumn Kelly.
Peter, who publicly announced his divorce to Autumn in 2020, found love again in May 2024 with fellow divorcee Harriet, who has a 14-year-old daughter Georgina, from a past relationship.
The bride herself boasts wealthy connections, sharing a relation to the Duke of Gloucester through her late father, Rupert Sperling.
Born Harriet Eleanor Sander to Mary Hoskins and Rupert Sanders, the 45-year-old, who has three siblings, Nicholas, Louisa and Rebecca, works as a paediatric nurse specialist for the NHS.
Peter, 19th in the line of succession, popped the question in August 2025 with a sparkling ring which boasts a subtle but touching tribute to his beloved grandmother, the late Queen Elizabeth II. It was designed by the same jeweller behind her 1946 ring.
In a statement to announce their engagement, they said both families were ‘delighted’.
While few details are known about the plans for the wedding, Harriet herself has spoken openly about the importance of faith in her life, previously revealing how Christianity helped her through the challenges of single motherhood.
In a previous interview, she revealed that her ‘faith was always in me, but it was kind of dormant’.
Mother of the bride! Princess Anne opted for a floral yellow dress as she arrived at All Saints Church this afternoon
She added: ‘Somehow it didn’t seem relevant to my life in London. But the end of a seven-year relationship was the turning point for me. I went to church as I felt there was something missing.’
Whilst today’s private ceremony was proudly attended by a host of royals, the groom’s first wedding to Autumn wasn’t as drama free – after Peter struck a deal with Hello! magazine to sell the exclusive rights for an estimated £500,000, without telling the family.
The 100-page feature included remarkably candid shots of the royals, including images of the family laughing and one photo of Prince Harry giving his grandmother – Elizabeth II – a peck on the cheek.
William and Harry’s then-girlfriends, Kate and Chelsy Davy, also appeared heavily throughout the special, despite issuing previous complaints about privacy breaches.
Sources close to the royals told The Standard at the time that the princes were entirely unaware that the photos were going to be featured in the magazine, and that Peter’s HELLO! deal ‘had not gone down well at all’.
They added: ‘Neither Peter nor the magazine sought their approval – and if they had, it certainly would not have been given. They are unhappy about it.’
William, who has always been a fiercely loyal public defender of Kate’s privacy, was no doubt upset that he had not been present at the event to protect his future wife.
Instead, the future King jetted off to Kenya to attend the wedding of Batian Craig, his ex-girlfriend Jecca Craig’s brother, and sent his girlfriend Kate to attend the event on his behalf.
‘Prince William’s going to be out of the country on a long-standing prior engagement,’ a royal source explained at the time. ‘He spoke to his cousin Peter and he is fine about it. His girlfriend will go in his absence.’
Left in the trusting hands of Harry and his then-girlfriend Chelsy, Kate’s apprehension was no doubt worsened by the fact that the event would be the first time she would meet her future grandmother-in-law, the late Queen Elizabeth II.
During Kate and William’s engagement interview in 2010, the princess disclosed to interviewer Tom Bradby her nerves towards their first meeting and added that the monarch had been ‘very friendly’, given the unusual circumstances.
However, what the wedding is now most remembered for is the intimate snapshot it provided into the family life of the royals, thanks to the controversial magazine deal.
The sea of images which were soon spread around the globe were a far cry from the traditionally stage-managed wedding photographs released by the Royal Family.
But the spread was certainly not well received by the Firm, with senior members of the family – including the late Queen – allegedly less than impressed, having felt blindsided by the publication of the pictures.
Even politicians at the time also chimed in, with Labour MP Ian Gibson claiming the British public would be shocked to see their monarch in those pages. ‘She is the Queen, not a footballer’s wife,’ he added.
Yesterday, the Daily Mail revealed that Harry’s strained relationship with Princess Anne’s son largely stems from the incident some 18 years ago.
