Prince Harry and Meghan 'no show' at Peter Phillips wedding today
Summary
The Royal family is set to gather on Saturday for the wedding of the Princess Royal’s son, Peter Phillips. Among those anticipated to arrive in the small Gloucestershire village of Kemble, near Cirencester, for the private ceremony are the King and Queen, the Prince and Princess of Wales, Zara and Mike Tindall, and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be absent from the occasion.
Details
It remains unclear whether Mr Phillips’s cousin Harry, Meghan and their children received an invitation, with some reports suggesting the Sussexes were excluded from the guest list.
While Harry and Mr Phillips shared a close bond in their younger years, it is understood they have drifted apart, with the duke relocating to the United States following his well-documented estrangement from his brother William, and subsequently making public criticisms of his family and the Royal institution.
The late Queen Elizabeth II’s eldest grandson will exchange vows with NHS nurse Harriet Sperling during a service at All Saints Church. Also anticipated to attend are Mr Phillips’s daughters Savannah, aged 15, and Isla, aged 14, alongside Ms Sperling’s teenage daughter Georgina. Mr Phillips’s half-sister Stephanie, who served as a bridesmaid at his first wedding, is also reported to be amongst those attending.
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All Saints Church, distinguished by its towering spire, stands at the centre of Kemble, with its congregation noted for being “very much involved in village life”. Mr Phillips resides close by on his mother’s Gatcombe Park estate in Minchinhampton. The 48 year old is the King’s nephew, first cousin to William and Harry, Zara’s brother, and son of Anne and her first husband Captain Mark Phillips.
Mr Phillips separated from his first wife Autumn in 2020 following 12 years of marriage, and they share custody of their two children. The pair wed in a lavish royal ceremony at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, in 2008. Mr Phillips’s engagement to Ms Sperling, whom he started seeing in 2024, was made public in August last year.
The couple attended Royal Ascot in June as guests of Charles and Camilla, and were invited to participate in the traditional carriage procession the Royal family undertakes onto the renowned Berkshire racecourse to mark the beginning of proceedings.
The wedding coincides with the Epsom Derby, meaning the King and Queen will need to hurry from the ceremony to the racecourse, where they are expected to watch the pinnacle of the racing calendar and award the trophy to the victor.
Report source: Gloucestershire Live