Peter Philips, the British Royal Family’s ‘Most Eligible Bachelor,’ has announced he is tying the knot with partner Harriet Sperling after a year of dating.
The 47-year-old royal, officially the 17th in line for the throne, is the last unmarried adult royal male following his divorce from Canadian wife Autumn Kelly four years ago, with whom he shares two daughters. Known for his relaxed and easygoing manner, Philips is believed to have met Sperling, an pediatric nurse, while attending a sporting event in 2024, shortly after splitting from previous partner Lindsay Wallace.
“Mr. Peter Phillips, the 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 couple revealed in a statement, first reported by Hello! magazine.
“Both families were informed jointly of the announcement and were delighted with the wonderful news of their engagement. Their Majesties The King and Queen, The Prince and Princess of Wales have been informed of the announcement,” they added. “No official date has been set for the wedding.”
Despite his distance from the throne, Philips is said to be close to the King and was known to be the late Queen Elizabeth’s favored grandchild. The eldest child of Princess Anne, he made his public debut with Sperling in May 2024 at the Badminton Horse Trials in Gloucestershire, United Kingdom, accompanied by sister Zara Tindell.
Since going public with their relationship Sperling has wasted no time integrating herself within the rest of the royal family, having been spotted chatting with Queen Camilla and future mother-in-law Princess Anne at the Royal Ascot.
The future royal, also a mother to daughter Georgia, previously spoke of the difficulties of being a single mother. “In the earlier years of my journey as a single mother to my daughter, resources were scarce, and the future was uncertain,” she told Woman Alive magazine.
“Yet, in the absence of material security, I discovered the strength and life that comes from true selfless love. A love that is able to be solely devoted to your child,” she added.
Philips, along with sister Zara, occupy an interesting spot in the British royal narrative due to their mother’s decision to raise them without royal titles, allowing them to pursue private lives and business interests without interference from the palace.
Unlike most members of the family, Philips actually works for a living, currently serving as managing director of boutique sports management company SEL UK since 2012, having previously worked at the Royal Bank of Scotland and lived overseas in Hong Kong.
His divorce from Kelly in 2021 after 14 years of marriage was said to be an amicable one, with the couple announcing they were separating on good terms after jointly deciding the relationship had run its course. Kelly still resides in Gloucestershire not far from where Philips lives so they can continue to co-parent their two children, Savannah, 14, and Isla, 13.
Royal insider Simon Mills previously told the Daily Beast: “Peter Phillips is a catch. He’s the only un-disgraced, single, not old, royal we have. He also, importantly, has all his own hair. And Princess Anne, being the most loved and admired royal, would be a cracking mother in law.”
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