Victoria Ward and Patrick Sawer
Peter Phillips, the King’s nephew, tied the knot with Harriet Sperling, an NHS nurse, in the Gloucestershire countryside before sharing a kiss in the rain.
The newlyweds beamed as they left All Saints’ Church in the village of Kemble hand in hand, following the hour-long ceremony on Saturday afternoon.
The couple were greeted with rousing cheers as they paused to acknowledge the crowds that had gathered from early morning for glimpses of the bride and groom, as well as the most senior members of the royal family.
Phillips, 48, looked proud as he emerged from the ceremony with his new wife, smiling for the cameras while sheltering her from the rain under a large white umbrella, as church bells pealed behind them.
Phillips’ daughters, Savannah and Isla, aged 15 and 14, and his partner’s daughter, Georgina Sperling, 13, giggled as they watched in matching floral crowns, dutifully holding the bride’s train.
After clambering into their car, the newlyweds shared a kiss before being whisked off to Gatcombe Park, the Princess Royal’s estate, for a celebration that was expected to continue into the early hours.
The King and Queen did not join the post-wedding celebrations as they rushed off to catch a helicopter to the Epsom Derby.
Earlier, the new Mrs Phillips, 46, was given three cheers as she arrived by car just as the rain stopped.
She wore an Emilia Wickstead gown, earrings by Pragnell, and the Pragnell family tiara, which was present at the coronations of both King George VI and Elizabeth II. Her shoes were by Jimmy Choo, and her cream bouquet included sweet peas, myrtle and lily of the valley.
The bride was swiftly joined by her three young bridesmaids. The trio, wearing matching cream pumps and short-sleeved Emilia Wickstead dresses, gathered around her to pick up her train.
Harriet Phillips was accompanied down the aisle by her brother, Nicholas Sanders, in honour of their father, Rupert Sanders, who died in 2023.
The road leading to the church was closed to traffic on Saturday morning to allow police to create a “sterile area” for the arrival of the wedding party and VIP guests.
Residents and well-wishers who had travelled to the venue were given access to a cordoned-off section of road offering them a view of the church gate, through which guests began arriving from 11.45am (UK time).
For many, it was a chance to witness a welcome sense of normality for the royal family, particularly with the bride bringing her experience as a working nurse for the health service to the firm.
There were loud cheers as the Prince and Princess of Wales arrived. The couple, who were not accompanied by their children, glanced briefly at the crowds before entering the church. The princess wore a blush-coloured dress by London-based label Roland Mouret, with a boater-style hat.
The King and Queen followed a few minutes later, the monarch giving a jolly wave as he made his way into the church. His sister, the Princess Royal and mother of the groom, was dressed in cheerful yellow, beamed before walking through the gates decorated with roses and lush green foliage.
Other guests gathered at the church included the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, Peter Phillips’ sister, Zara Tindall, and her husband Mike, as well as their half-sister, Stephanie Hosier, and her husband William.
Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie made a high-profile return to the royal fold, barely 24 hours after it emerged that they have been living rent-free at St James’s Palace and Kensington Palace, respectively, despite being non-working royals.
The sisters were accompanied by their husbands, Edo Mapelli-Mozzi and Jack Brooksbank.
Princess Beatrice, 37, wore an Alice band and a green printed dress, while her sister, Princess Eugenie, 36, who is pregnant with her third child, wore navy with matching shoes and a hat.
The bride’s mother, Mary Sanders, who serves on the ministry at her local church just a few miles away, and Phillips’ sisters, Rebecca Elder and Louisa Speakman, were also present.
The church was full for the service, led by the Rev Dr Steve Bullock, with extra seating brought in to cater for the 150-strong congregation inside.
The couple took their vows by the light of the church’s east window, which includes a stained-glass representation of the River Thames, the source of which is close to Kemble.
Peter Phillips, who wore a pale blue waistcoat and matching button-hole flower, was supported by his best man and childhood friend, Andrew Tucker.
The wedding was themed in sky blue, a favourite colour of the bride.
The flower arrangements and the floral archways to the church and wedding reception were designed by Millie Richardson, a renowned florist, using a range of locally sourced, English-grown flowers.
Once the wedding party had left, locals were encouraged to enter the church and view the array of flowers that the couple chose to decorate the altar and pews.
Some will be taken away by villagers as a memento, while the rest will be donated to local community groups.
An official from the Thameshead Benefice group of Cotswold parishes said its members were delighted with the couple’s decision to hold the wedding at the bride’s local church. “We were blessed to have her here,” he said.
Anthony Millard, who lives in the village, said: “It’s a quintessential English event. Even with the rain. It’s a special, close family event, near to where many of the royals live, to welcome a lovely young couple into the fold.”
Jane, 79, who lives near Kemble, said: “The only other royal event I’ve seen first hand was the late Queen Elizabeth’s coronation, so this one being so near to me, I was determined to come and see for myself.
“It’s a happy, joyous occasion. They are a normal couple with the right attitude. They seem very down to earth, and that’s lovely.”
Her friend Sue, 64, added: “Working for the NHS as a nurse, I think Harriet will bring some normality to the royal family, a sense of being someone like us.”
It was the second marriage for both the bride and groom. Harriet Phillips, a devout Christian, is understood to have separated from her former husband, Antonio St John Sperling, a fitness instructor, when their daughter was aged two.
Peter Phillips, who works in sports management and is 19th in line to the throne, married Canadian Autumn Phillips in 2008. The couple divorced in 2021 and share custody of their two daughters.
He met his new wife at a hockey match involving their daughters. The couple made their public debut at the Badminton Horse Trials in May 2024 and announced their engagement the following August.
The Telegraph, London
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