ROYAL FAMILY NEWSAnother Royal Wedding: Queen Elizabeth's Grandson Peter Phillips Announces Engagement 4 Years After His Divorce
The couple announced their engagement on August 1.
Aug. 1 2025, Published 10:40 a.m. ET
It’s time for another royal wedding!
Peter Phillips, grandson of Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles III, announced his engagement to Harriet Sperling on August 1, just four years after his divorce from Autumn Kelly.
Despite dating for only one year before their engagement, according to a statement shared by Gerard Franklin, a spokesperson for Phillips, the couple said there has been “no date” officially set for the wedding.
Peter Phillips and Harriet Sperling's Engagement Announcement
Peter Phillips and Harriet Sperling dated for about a year before they became engaged.
“Mr. Peter Phillips, the son of HRH [Anne] 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 added.
“Both families were informed jointly of the announcement and were delighted with the wonderful news of their engagement,” the announcement continued. “Their Majesties The King and Queen, The Prince and Princess of Wales have been informed of the announcement.”
Peter Phillips and Autumn Kelly's Marriage
Peter Phillips and Autumn Kelly divorced in 2021 after getting married in 2008.
Peter and Harriet began dating in 2024 and made their first public appearance in May of that year during the Badminton Horse Trials in Gloucestershire, U.K. The couple met at a sporting event for their daughters, who were born from previous relationships.
The Queen’s eldest grandson was formerly married to his first wife, Autumn, from 2008 until 2021 after separating in 2019. They welcomed two daughters, Savannah and Isa.
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Harriet Sperling as a Single Mother
Peter Phillips and Harriet Sperling made their public debut as a couple in May 2024.
Harriet welcomed her daughter, Georgina, in 2012 and was thrust into the life of a single mother. In an essay written for Women Alive, Harriet spoke about how she learned of “true selfless love” while raising her daughter, adding, “I liken us to an island, and it has often felt hard to imagine anyone joining that island.”
After making their public debut as a couple, Peter’s fiancée was warmly embraced by the royals and has often accompanied him at events, including riding in the carriage procession at Royal Ascot — a sure sign of the King’s approval.
Why Doesn't Peter Phillips Have a Royal Title?
Peter Phillips' parents requested he not be given a royal title.
While Peter has his own sports management company and works as a businessman, Harriet is a known freelance writer and an NHS pediatric nurse specialist.
Despite being of the royal lineage, Peter was not given a royal title at birth, per request from his mother and father. “Both the princess and her husband are said to have rejected an offer from the Queen of titles, which would have enabled their children to be born into the peerage,” says a statement by the BBC.
