Prince Harry's sour rift with William poses awkward dilemma as big royal event looms
A royal wedding is seemingly on the cards after a much-loved member of the family announced he is engaged.
Princess Anne's son Peter Phillips revealed he popped the question to his girlfriend Harriet Sperling after a year of dating, with his fiancé being spotted at several high profile events, including Royal Ascot.
Peter's uncle King Charles is said to have been delighted with the news as was his close cousin Prince William and his wife Kate. Although no date is believed to have been set for any nuptials yet, many have wondered who might bag an invite, especially as Peter is thought to be close to both estranged brothers, William and Prince Harry. It comes after news that Prince Harry will 'never be forgiven' by two major royals despite reconciliation hope.
READ MORE: Prince William was 'human shield' in tense moment between Kate Middleton and Meghan
And for former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond, it could prove awkward when it comes to a guest list, but predicts there could be a surprise.
She explained to the Mirror: "It seems that Harriet is already a hit in the Royal family. It was quite an accolade for her to be invited to join the carriage possession at Royal Ascot, and she was seen chatting animatedly with the King.
"Given that both she and Peter are divorced, I suspect their wedding may be a fairly low-key civil ceremony. But Peter is very popular in the family and so the reception could well be at Windsor Castle or another royal residence.
"As with all weddings, there will be a conundrum about who to invite. Peter was always very close to both William and Harry. During the difficult times he has been something of a buffer, for example, walking between them at the funeral of their grandfather, Prince Philip.
"However, it's going to be awkward for him to invite them both to his wedding. On the other hand, both William and Harry attended the funeral of their uncle, Lord Fellowes, and even though they were in the same church and then the same room it seems they did not speak. So, anything is possible.
"All things considered, it might be better for Peter and Harriet to have a quiet wedding with just a few friends and family present."
Peter, 47, was previously married to Autumn Kelly, with whom he has two daughters Isla and Savannah. He also dated long-term partner Lindsay Wallace before they split last year and he later found love with Harriet, an NHS nurse.
In April 2024, it was revealed that Peter had split with previous girlfriend Lindsay, who were said to have amicably separated with work commitments proving a stumbling block for the pair.
His split with Lindsay came four years after it was announced Peter and ex-wife Autumn had called time on their marriage after 12 years - marking a tumultuous time for his love life.
Peter married his first wife Autumn back in May 2008 in a grand ceremony at St George's Chapel in Windsor, with guests including the late Queen and Prince Philip as well as his cousin Prince Harry. Although Prince William was unable to make it, the Princess of Wales was invited, despite being unmarried at the time - and it is believed the wedding marked the first time she met the late Queen.
The couple spent time living in Hong Kong through Peter's previous job with the Royal Bank of Scotland and eventually settled back in the UK with their two daughters Savannah, 14, the late Queen's oldest great-grandchild and Isla, 13.
However, towards the end of 2019, the couple separated and revealed they had taken the difficult step in an emotional statement in 2020.
When they married in 2008, the couple raised eyebrows when the pictures from the wedding were sold to a magazine for a large sum.
And Jennie added: "I imagine Peter has learnt his lesson from his first wedding, when he sold the picture rights to a magazine for £500,000. It did not go down well with the Queen or the palace, who said it had been 'a serious error of judgement'."
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