Princess Anne’s son is set to marry NHS nurse Harriet Sperling, two years after they first met, with senior royals on hand to welcome the newest member of the Royal Family
Princess Anne’s son Peter Phillips has announced the date of his upcoming wedding to Harriet Sperling, two years after the pair started dating. The couple will tie the knot at All Saints Church, Kemble, Cirencester, on Saturday June 6, in a private ceremony. Both families have been informed jointly of the summer wedding date by invitation.
The couple say that the King and Queen as well as the Prince and Princess of Wales have also been informed of the joyous announcement and that further details will be announced in due course. The news comes after the couple announced their engagement in August last year.
With the royal wedding just a few months away, we look at all we know about the newest member of the Royal Family, and how their romance came to be.
Single mum
Hailing from Gloucestershire, Harriet Sperling, 45, is a paediatric NHS nurse and freelance writer, who is “passionate about early brain development in babies and seeing children thrive”, according to an online nursing biography.
She is also a single mother to her 13-year-old daughter, Georgina, from her first marriage to fitness instructor Antonio St John Sperling. Harriet is also known for having strong religious roots – having previously shared how she took great strength from her Christian faith as she battled through the early years of single parenthood when “resources were scarce and the future was uncertain”.
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In an interview in 2009, she said: “Somehow [faith] 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.”
Romance blossoms
Harriet and Peter reportedly met in spring 2024 at a sporting event involving their daughters. Just months later, the couple made their public debut as they appeared together at the Badminton Horse Trials, where Harriet mingled with Peter’s mum, Anne, sister-in-law-to-be Zara as well as Queen Camilla.
Throughout the first year of their relationship, the couple were spotted together at a number of social events together, such as Wimbledon as well as Cheltenham Races. In June last year, they attended Royal Ascot together where Harriet made her debut in one of the carriages during the royal procession – with the move being seen as a significant sign of her moving into the royal fold.
Harriet has been warmly welcomed by the Royal Family over the past two years, as she has been seen chatting and laughing with King Charles, Queen Camilla and Princess Anne at royal events. She also joined the royals for their annual summer break in Balmoral last year.
A royal engagement
On August 1 2025, the couple announced their engagement after one year of dating. A statement on behalf of the couple read: “Mr Peter Phillips, the son of HRH The Princess Royal and Captain Mark Phillips and Ms Harriet Sperling, daughter of the late Mr Rupert Sanders and Mrs Mary Sanders of Gloucestershire, have today confirmed their official engagement.
“Both families were informed jointly of the announcement and were delighted with the wonderful news of their engagement. Their Majesties The King and Queen, The Prince and Princess of Wales have been informed of the announcement.”
Pictures released by Hello! showed the newly-engaged couple happily posing for the camera with Harriet showing off her diamond engagement ring.
Peter chose a stunning engagement ring from Pragnell, a Mayfair jeweller that has longstanding connections to the royal family and is largely considered one of the world’s finest outlets for luxury jewellery.
Unlucky in love
The upcoming wedding will be the second marriage for both Peter and Harriet, who have each been married once before.
Peter married his first wife Autumn back in May 2008 in a grand ceremony at St George’s Chapel in Windsor, with guests including the late Queen and Prince Philip as well as his cousin Prince Harry, although Prince William was unable to attend.
The couple spent time living in Hong Kong through Peter’s previous job with the Royal Bank of Scotland and eventually settled back in the UK with their two daughters Savannah, 14, the late Queen’s oldest great-grandchild and Isla, 13.
However, towards the end of 2019, the couple separated and revealed they had taken the difficult step in an emotional statement in 2020 – just weeks after Harry and Meghan Markle announced they were quitting their royal roles.
In 2021, the couple’s divorce was finalised “amicably” and they released a statement explaining: “Whilst this is a sad day for Peter and Autumn, they continue to put the wellbeing and upbringing of their wonderful daughters Savannah and Isla first and foremost.
“Both Peter and Autumn are pleased to have resolved matters amicably with the children firmly at the forefront of those thoughts and decisions. Peter and Autumn have requested privacy and consideration for their children as the family adapts to a new chapter in their lives.”
