There are royal weddings, and then there are ROYAL WEDDINGS.
From Prince William and Catherine’s spectacular big day at Westminster Abbey, to Prince Harry and Meghan’s ‘I dos’ at the incredible St George’s Chapel in Windsor, we’ve seen the royals put on some magnificent shows of pomp and ceremony as only the royals do.
But the low-key All Saints Church in the honey-hued Cotswold village of Kemble couldn’t be a more unlikely setting for such an important day.
This may have been Peter Phillips’ second marriage but there were way more to his nuptials than a happily ever after with his stunning bride Harriet Sperling.
© Getty ImagesIt’s been four years since the last royal wedding – Princess Beatrice’s small-scale wedding during lockdown with just 20 guests – and it didn’t get more royal than this one.
The King and Queen led the senior royals – William and Kate, Edward and Sophie, Princess Anne and Zara – who were all in attendance at the private and small (by royal standards) wedding.
But what stands out is what this wedding represents – that happier times are on the horizon for the family who have been through their fair share of crisis after crisis.
There’s nothing like a wedding to unite a family. And certainly one which has been sailing waters as treacherous as our very own House of Windsor.
It’s been quite the past few years since the passing of Queen Elizabeth II back in 2022.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s links to late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, his arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office, being stripped of his prince title and dukedom, Sarah Ferguson going into hiding, Prince Harry and his continued fallout with his brother.
But coming together in all their finery to celebrate love, well, it doesn’t get much better than that and gives a fractious family something to focus on.
The day was to celebrate Peter and Harriet finding each other and the blending of their families.
© Samir Hussein/WireImageIt also marked a very important return for Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie.
They have not been seen at royal events with the rest of the family since Christmas Day when they joined the King and their other relatives at Sandringham.
But since their father’s fall from grace, the girls have found themselves dragged into the scandal and subsequently, they have stayed away from family events they have attended in the past.
The sisters didn’t join the firm at their annual Easter Sunday church visit this year and as HELLO! revealed a few months ago, they are not expected to attend Royal Ascot later this month.
To the outside world, they had appeared to have been cast adrift. But the family continues to check on them and when Princess Eugenie announced last month that she was expecting her third child this summer, Buckingham Palace announced: “His Majesty The King has been informed and is delighted with the news.”
© Getty ImagesAlthough it was a private wedding, Peter and Harriet’s big day signalled the first time the sisters have been seen with the rest of the royals – a signal of the family’s support for them.
Even as headlines screamed from the front pages of the newspapers the last few days, sharing revelations that the princesses have been living rent-free in a royal palace, with their Uncle Charles footing the bill.
Indeed, there were questions about whether the sisters would even attend the wedding because of the revelations and the questions now being asked about whether non-working royals should be living rent-free.
But on the day, Beatrice and Eugenie held their heads high as they walked into the church to join the rest of the family. In fact, it wasn’t just the royals who made the guestlist who were sparking headlines, it was also those who didn’t make the cut.
© Samir Hussein/WireImagePeter’s Uncle Andrew was not invited to the wedding and neither was his once-close cousin Prince Harry. The absence speaks volumes about the continuing controversies.
While troubled times may not yet be over for the royal family, Peter and Harriet’s breathtaking wedding gave a brief reprieve this weekend, and united the royal relatives in what they hope might become a new, happy chapter.
Let’s hope there are happier times on the horizon. No one keeps calm and carries on quite like the royals.
