King's Nephew Peter Phillips Required Special Permission to Marry NHS Nurse
Princess Anne's son Peter Phillips, the King's nephew, will marry his NHS fiancee Harriet Sperling on June 6 in a private ceremony at All Saints Church in Kemble, Gloucestershire. The couple has announced that King Charles and Queen Camilla, along with the Prince and Princess of Wales, have been informed of the wedding date, with further details to be released in due course.
Special Permission Needed for Church Wedding
Sources close to the couple have revealed that Peter Phillips and Harriet Sperling needed special permission to marry in the Anglican church, as both are divorcees. Under Church of England rules, divorced couples do not have an automatic right to marry in church, although regulations have been relaxed in recent years. A source told The Sun: "They have the vicar's permission." This approval was necessary from a local vicar for the Gloucestershire ceremony to proceed.
Peter Phillips, 48, who is 19th in line to the throne and the late Queen's eldest grandchild, announced his engagement to Harriet last August. Harriet is an NHS paediatric nurse and a mother of one teenage daughter named Georgia. The couple first appeared together publicly at the Badminton Horse Trials in summer 2024, where Harriet mingled with Princess Anne, future sister-in-law Zara Tindall, and Queen Camilla.
Royal Family Attendance and Background
While the full guest list has not been confirmed, expected attendees include Peter's mother Princess Anne, his father Captain Mark Phillips, his sister Zara Tindall and brother-in-law Mike Tindall. Other potential royal guests are his cousins Princes William and Harry, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, Lady Louise Windsor, and James, the Earl of Wessex.
Notably, Peter's aunts and uncles include the disgraced Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, though they are considered unlikely to attend given their banishment from royal family events. Most recently, Harriet joined the King, Princess Anne, and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh at Sandringham between Christmas and New Year, where they attended church services together.
Previous Marriage and Relationship History
Peter Phillips was previously married to Autumn Kelly from May 2008 until their divorce was finalized in 2021. Their wedding at St George's Chapel in Windsor was attended by the late Queen and Prince Philip, along with Prince Harry. Although Prince William could not attend, the then-unmarried Princess of Wales was invited, and it is believed this wedding marked her first meeting with the late Queen.
The couple had two daughters, Savannah (15) and Isla (14), and lived in Hong Kong during Peter's employment with the Royal Bank of Scotland before settling back in the UK. They separated in late 2019 and announced their split in an emotional statement in 2020, shortly after Harry and Meghan Markle's departure from royal duties. Their divorce was described as "amicable," with both prioritizing their daughters' wellbeing.
Following his divorce, Peter dated long-term partner Lindsay Wallace before their split in 2024, after which he found love with Harriet Sperling. Last June, the couple appeared together at Royal Ascot, where Harriet made her debut in a royal procession carriage, seen as a significant step into royal circles.
The upcoming wedding represents a new chapter for Peter Phillips, blending royal tradition with modern circumstances, as the couple navigates church protocols for divorcees while planning their intimate Gloucestershire ceremony.
