Peter Phillips, the eldest grandchild of the late Queen Elizabeth II and son of Princess Anne, is officially engaged to Harriet Sperling, a pediatric nurse and writer. The announcement was made public on Friday through a statement from the couple’s spokesperson.
“Mr Peter Phillips, son of HRH The Princess Royal and Captain Mark Phillips, and Ms Harriet Sperling, daughter of the late Mr Rupert Sanders and Mrs Mary Sanders of Gloucestershire, have today confirmed their official engagement,” the statement read, as shared with CNN.
According to the spokesperson, both families have been jointly informed and are “delighted with the wonderful news.” King Charles III and Queen Camilla, along with the Prince and Princess of Wales, have also been notified of the engagement.
Though the wedding date has not yet been set, the couple first revealed their engagement in a photo feature for Hello! magazine, posing together in a scenic field with Sperling’s engagement ring on full display.
Phillips, 47, and Sperling have been in a relationship since at least May 2024. They were publicly seen together at the Badminton Horse Trials alongside Phillips’ two daughters and Queen Camilla.
Harriet Sperling works with the National Health Service as a pediatric nurse and also contributes as a freelance writer. One of her pieces appeared last year in Woman Alive, a Christian magazine, where her bio outlined her dual professional roles.
Phillips was previously married to Autumn Kelly, a Canadian-born media consultant. The former couple, who share two daughters—Savannah, 14, and Isla, 13—announced their amicable divorce and co-parenting arrangement in 2020.
Who is Harriet Sperling?
Harriet Sperling (née Sanders) is a Paediatric Nurse Specialist with Britain’s NHS, serving at facilities such as Evelina London Children’s Hospital. She focuses on early brain development and supporting children’s flourishing health.
She also works as a freelance writer, having published a reflective essay for Woman Alive under her maiden name, where she candidly shared her experiences as a single mother and spoke about her Christian faith.
Personal Life & Family
Born Harriet Eleanor Sanders in 1980, she is the third of four children of Mary Hoskins and the late Rupert Sanders of Gloucestershire.
She has a daughter, Georgia, from a previous marriage to fitness instructor Antonio “Dino” Sperling, making her a single mum for over a decade before her relationship with Peter Phillips.
In her published essay, she described her bond with her daughter as forged “in the fires of struggles and victories,” emphasizing love and faith in her journey.
Heritage & Social Background
Harriet comes from a notably well-connected family. Through her late father, she’s related to the Duke of Gloucester and to the historic Courage brewing dynasty (her great-grandmother Dorothy Courage belonged to that family).
Her wealthy Gloucestershire roots include estates such as Edgcote Manor, once featured in the BBC’s Pride and Prejudice adaptation—a symbol of her distant aristocratic lineage.
Public Appearances & Integration
Harriet and Peter Phillips reportedly met in early 2024 at a sporting event involving their daughters. They made their public debut as a couple at the Badminton Horse Trials in May 2024.
Since then, she has appeared alongside him at major events including Royal Ascot, where she rode in the prestigious carriage procession with senior royals—a gesture widely seen as a sign of royal acceptance.
Other engagements include appearances at Wimbledon, the Royal Charity Polo Cup, the Cheltenham New Year’s Race Meeting, and the Bahrain Grand Prix, often seated alongside Peter’s family members or senior royals.