Prince Harry will not be among the many royals gathering for Peter Phillips' upcoming wedding, despite the cousins once sharing a close friendship. Princess Anne's son will tie the knot with NHS nurse Harriet Sperling this weekend at an intimate ceremony in the Cotswolds, in the English countryside.
It will be Peter's second wedding: he previously married Autumn Phillips in 2008, but the pair – who share two children – announced their divorce in 2020. The Duke of Sussex was among the guests at his cousin's first nuptials but won't be joining his family this time around, according to multiple reports.
“Peter and Harry haven’t spoken for several years and have simply lost touch, so he hasn’t been invited,” a friend close to the couple told Hello. The cousins grew up together and were once close, but their relationship has waned over time.
Childhood Bonds
Peter opened up about his time with his cousins during their childhood in a 2016 interview on Good Morning Britain. “We had a lot of fun and there was a lot of space for kids to run around in, and it wasn’t just us – it was the Waleses (William and Harry), Freddie and Ella Windsor (Prince and Princess Michael of Kent’s children), and the Gloucesters,” Peter recalled. “So there was quite a gang of us growing up in that age, and it was a lot of fun. We caused quite a bit of mayhem and chaos, but fortunately, I don’t think we broke too much!”
Family Tensions
Hello royal editor Emily Nash told Page Six that Peter’s close friendship with Harry’s estranged brother, Prince William, had also likely played a role. “[Peter is] very loyal; he’s very protective. He’s been a very good sounding board to his cousin over the years,” Nash said. “So it absolutely makes sense that I think had both Wales brothers been there, it would have put a completely different slant on the whole event … And that’s not what you want on what should be the happiest day of your life, right?”
As tensions ran high between William and Harry during Prince Philip’s funeral in 2021, sources described how Peter had taken on the role of “peacemaker” between them and was pictured walking between them in the funeral procession. Given Harry’s well-publicised issues with his family in recent years, his attendance at the nuptials would surely have inadvertently pulled focus from the happy couple on their big day.
Guest List
William is expected to attend along with his wife, the Princess of Wales, with the King and Queen also likely to make an appearance. Notably absent will be the disgraced Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson. However, their two daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie are likely to be there, in what will mark their first major outing in months amid their parents’ scandals.
Peter and Harriet will exchange vows at All Saints Church in the stunning village of Kemble in Cirencester. Reports suggest that the Princess Royal will then host the reception at her official residence, Gatcombe Park, located about 20 minutes drive from the church.
