King Charles’ nephew Peter Phillips and Harriet Sperling are likely to have an ‘all-white wedding’ insider suggests – as the royal celebrates his 48th birthday

As Princess Anne‘s son – Peter Phillips – celebrates his 48th birthday, there is one key question that is bound to be at the forefront of many royal fanatics’ minds.

When will he finally wed his NHS fiancée, Harriet Sperling? 

The couple, who have been dating since May 2024, officially announced their engagement in July – leaving the nation eagerly anticipating when the next royal wedding could be set to take place.

In a statement to announce their joyous news, it was confirmed that while King Charles and Queen Camilla, alongside Prince William and Kate Middleton, had been ‘informed’ of the engagement, ‘no date has been officially set for the wedding.’

It will not be the first time Peter – nephew of King Charles – has walked down the aisle. In 2008, he said ‘I Do’ to Montreal-born Autumn Kelly in a fairytale ceremony at Windsor’s St George’s Chapel. 

The couple, who share two children – Savannah, 14, and Isla, 13, separated in 2019, with their divorce finalised in 2021.

Now, Peter has found love again with fellow divorcee Harriet, 46, who shares a 13-year-old daughter, Georgina, from her first marriage. She herself boasts wealthy connections, sharing a relation to the Duke of Gloucester through her late father, Rupert Sperling. 

Peter, 19th in the line of succession, popped the question with a sparkling ring which boasts a subtle but touching tribute to his beloved grandmother – the late Queen Elizabeth II – having been designed by the same jeweller behind her iconic 1946 ring.

But how will Peter and Harriet’s big day differ from his previous nuptials and could wedding bells be set to ring before the end of the year?

While little is known about the details of their upcoming nuptials, former royal butler Grant Harrold previously told the Daily Mail that he is almost certain the pair will not be restrained by traditional royal protocol. 

Acknowledging that times are ‘very different’ now, he said: ‘Historically, yes, royal weddings, if you’re divorced and you got married again, it was always a much more low key affair.’

Yet, while Peter is seemingly unlikely to abide by all of the traditions of the Firm on the big day, Mr Harrold is confident that Peter and Harriet will likely enjoy an ‘all-white wedding.’

He adds: ‘I think he’ll still want to do things even though he’s the divorcee. I still think it will be a full-blown white wedding affair.’

It has previously been speculated that the couple could opt for a style of wedding similar to Charles and Camilla when they married in 2005.

The King and Queen Consort enjoyed a noticeably less lavish ceremony compared to Charles and the late Princess Diana’s big day in 1981 – which was held at St Paul’s Cathedral and watched by more than 750million people globally. 

Instead, the couple held a private civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall, followed by a religious blessing. 

Harriet herself is 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.’

In an interview in 2009, she revealed that her ‘faith was always in me, but it was kind of dormant’.

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.’ 

In a piece written for Christian magazine Woman Alive last year, she also admitted that she’d often found life as a single parent difficult, but found comfort after turning to her faith.

Writing under her maiden name – Sanders – Harriet referred to comments comedian Katherine Ryan had made about parenting as a single mother to her daughter following her divorce from fitness instructor Antonio St John Sperling.

She said: ‘In the earlier years of my journey as a single mother to my daughter, resources were scarce, and the future was uncertain. Yet, in the absence of material security, I discovered the strength and life that comes from true selfless love. A love that is able to be solely devoted to your child.

‘My daughter and I journeyed 10 years with only each other. I liken us to an island and it has often felt hard to imagine anyone joining that island.

‘But of course beauty comes from relationships, relationship with our maker and relationship with each other. It is often tough parenting alone but although there is a stigma to endure, God is able to step in and turn it for good.’

For royal biographer Richard Fitzwilliams, there is no doubt that Peter and Harriet’s wedding will be vastly different from his previous nuptials to Autumn Kelly that left the Royal Family ‘bewildered’. 

The lavish ceremony held at St George’s Chapel saw 300 guests gather to celebrate the happy couple, including 70 members of Autumn’s family and even a young Kate Middleton.

But now, 17 years on, the day is often remembered for the highly intimate snapshot into the family life of the royals it provided, all thanks to a controversial deal the newlyweds signed with Hello! magazine.

As a £500,000 wedding present to the couple, Hello! were given exclusive rights to picture most of the ceremony including inside the chapel and the reception in Frogmore House.

This resulted in a 100-page exclusive feature from the magazine, which 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.

They were a far cry from the traditionally stage-managed wedding photographs released by the Royal Family.

And the spread was 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.

Buckingham Palace released a statement shortly afterwards claiming that the deal was a ‘serious error of judgement.’

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.

But Mr Fitzwilliams is near certain that Peter will have learnt from such mistakes – adding that he predicts his upcoming nuptials ‘will be very different’ from the ‘outrageous’ Hello! spread, insisting that ‘this type of deal would never recur’.

While the venue is yet to be confirmed, Mr Fitzwilliams also adds that St George’s Chapel may be a ‘good idea’, serving as a perfect opportunity to pay a loving tribute to the late Monarch who is buried there alongside Prince Philip. 

Often described as the late Queen’s favourite grandson, Peter has previously spoken about his ‘remarkable’ relationship with his grandmother – describing her as both a ‘role model’ and ‘figurehead’.

Yet, while this would no doubt be a loving tribute, Mr Fitzwilliams also jokes that it would be rather unconventional for the royal to marry at the same venue twice.

For royal expert Ingrid Seward, the likelihood of Peter and Harriet embracing a rather intimate ceremony is high – with her suspecting that he would ‘want it to be relatively private to protect Harriet from the onslaught of social media criticism which is inevitable.’

She added that Peter, who was the late Queen’s first grandchild, ‘remained very much a favourite.’

As a result, Ms Seward previously told the Daily Mail said she is ‘sure the private chapel at Windsor Castle would be made available for him. Or the Royal Chapel of All Saints, by Royal Lodge at Windsor or in his bride’s local church.’

‘He could also get married in a Registry Office,’ she concluded. ‘The rules of the past no longer apply, but having a lavish, expensive wedding like Harry and Meghan’s would be unlikely.’

While Peter, son of Princess Anne, 75, is a highly valued and credible member of the Firm, neither him nor his sister, Zara Tindall, have a HRH status, and therefore have no obligations to the Monarchy.

When they were born they did not automatically inherit a HRH title because their father, Captain Mark Phillips, was not a Prince.

And Princess Anne also took the decision that she did not want them be called Prince or Princess, later telling Vanity Fair in a 2020 interview that she believed it was ‘the right thing to do’ due to the ‘downsides’ that come with having a title.

In adulthood, both Peter and Zara rejected the late Queen’s offer of a royal title, meaning that their children will also not be entitled to a HRH status or working royal obligations, despite remaining in the line of succession. 

First revealing their relationship to the world in May last year, Peter and Harriet were seen strolling hand-in-hand at Badminton Horse trials in Gloucestershire.

Peter had embarked on their new romance just weeks after his split from his previous partner Lindsay Wallace, with their three-year high-profile relationship said to have ‘ran its course.’

For royal biographer Richard Fitzwillams, Harriet serves as a perfect fit for the Firm – particularly amid a time of great crisis following the fallout of scandal surrounding Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. 

Adding that he is acutely aware of the ‘public fascination’ and ‘enormous interest’ in a royal wedding, Mr Fitzwilliams explained that Harriet’s NHS paediatric career ‘will undoubtedly make her popular’ while also ‘giving her a down to earth image.’

He adds that such favourable image will be furthered by her position as a single mother which ‘reflects contemporary Britain rather well.’

Indicative of her unwavering commitment to the job – in 2010, Harriet was a key member of a team of medics, doctors and clinicians who helped save the life of a critically ill three-week-old baby, Phineas, after he was struck down by a deadly virus.

She is also said to have commuted to London from her Gloucestershire home for many years for her work in the public health service. 

And, alongside her professional career, Harriet’s personal interests also prove highly favourable, with Mr Fitzwilliams adding that given Princess Anne’s family are ‘famously sporty’, Harriet, a firm equestrian and tennis fan, clearly fits the bill.

Indeed, the smitten pair are said to have first crossed paths at a sporting event involving their children and, over the course of the last year, have been seen hand-in-hand enjoying days out at Cheltenham Racecourse, Wimbledon and even charity polo matches. 

Harriet also appears to have gained the all-important royal seal of approval.

The NHS nurse was seen engaging in a lighthearted conversation alongside King Charles as the loved-up pair attended Ascot, travelling in the official carriage procession among senior royals.

The mother-of-one also joined the King and the remainder of the Firm in Scotland in August, where she was said to have been thrown straight into the deep end by facing the unofficial ‘Balmoral test’ that potential members of the family are put through during their first visit.

Guests are expected to join in outdoor activities with enthusiasm, change outfits up to five times a day and warmly embrace all of the eating, drinking and party games – all while crucially remembering royal protocol throughout. 

Given that Peter is ‘smitten’ with his fiancée, it is understood Harriet is likely to have passed the test with ‘flying colours’, a source said.

As the Firm faces one of its most challenging periods to date, a royal wedding is bound to help brighten spirits while also offering a renowned opportunity for the family to gather together in celebration, as opposed to anguish.

And, given Harriet’s quick welcome into the Royal fold, alongside Peter’s high-valued role within the family, it is expected that a wealth of senior royals will be in attendance on the big day.

There is no doubt that for a Monarchy routinely rocked by scandal, a day of joyous matrimony will be greatly welcomed – with the Firm keen to embrace Harriet as a steady figure of positivity with a conscientious and loving nature.