Harriet Sperling has revealed that her father died shortly before she met Peter Phillips, the son of Princess Anne, whom she married in June 2026. The Paediatric Nurse Specialist first met Phillips in 2022, and they made their relationship public two years later.
A Painful Loss Before a New Beginning
Speaking to Hello! Magazine, Sperling reflected on the difficult period that preceded their meeting. "My father had died just before I met Peter. I often think maybe that's why Peter came along," she said.
Their first meeting came shortly after Phillips had formally divorced his first wife, Autumn Kelly, with whom he has two daughters. Sperling described how they met naturally through their children.
"I always told myself that I would much rather meet someone naturally, and that's exactly what happened," she told Hello! Magazine. "We knew of each other through our children and through mutual friends. We met properly in early 2022, when our three daughters were on the same hockey team. We met watching our children play hockey, chatting casually in a very ordinary way."
Marriage and Family Life
Phillips announced his engagement to Sperling in August 2025. They married at the Anglican All Saints Church in Kemble, Gloucestershire, in a ceremony attended by members of the Royal Family.
Sperling, who is also a mother to a daughter, described her husband as her "best friend" and said she feels they were "meant to be together". Reflecting on her upbringing in rural Gloucestershire, she spoke about the example set by her parents' long marriage, saying they spent 51 years together.
"Sadly, my father died just before Peter and I got together," she added. "My upbringing was pretty idyllic, growing up as one of four siblings in the countryside. I enjoyed playing in school sports teams and especially loved tennis. I rode ponies and we always had a labrador growing up."
Life on the Gatcombe Park Estate
Phillips was also brought up in Gloucestershire, where he and Sperling now live on his mother's Gatcombe Park 700-acre estate. His sister, Zara Tindall, also lives on the estate at Aston Farm.
Sperling was previously married to fitness instructor Antonio St John Sperling, and the former couple share a daughter, Georgina. In a 2004 piece for Woman Alive, she spoke about raising her daughter and her faith: "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. The unique relationship between a single mother and her child is forged in the fires of struggles and victories. It's a bond characterised by a love and survival against the odds."
She added: "As a Christian, I see this bond as a reflection of God's unwavering love for us. It teaches us about sacrifice, about the depth of love that is costly and willing to give without expecting anything in return. This journey has deepened my faith, teaching me to trust in God's plan and to find strength in his love."
