I guess I’m the only one getting hyped for Peter Phillips’ upcoming wedding to Harriet Sperling. This week, Peter and Harriet finally announced their wedding date and location – they will marry on June 6th (D-Day, the Day of Days) in the Cotswolds. They’re having a “country wedding” because it’s close to Peter’s home at Gatcombe Park. Gatcombe is his mother Princess Anne’s estate, and both Peter and his sister Zara still live on the massive property in separate cottages with their families. Peter’s first wedding, to Autumn Kelly, was held at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor, and he was given the full “royal wedding” treatment. It’s different this time because both Peter and Harriet are divorced. Meaning, they had to get “special permission” to marry in a church.
The King’s nephew had to get special permission from his vicar for a church to hold his wedding with his NHS nurse fiancee — because the royal has been married before.
Peter Phillips, 48, will wed Harriet Sperling, 45, at a picturesque Cotswolds church on June 6 – which is also the 62nd anniversary of D-Day.
Sources close to the couple confirmed they needed the sign off from a local vicar to wed at All Saints Church, Kemble, near Cirencester, because both are divorcees.
It comes 21 years after a storm surrounded Charles and Camilla’s marriage when they had a civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall due to opposition within the Anglican Church. The late Queen did not attend the ceremony but did appear late for a church blessing by the Archbishop of Canterbury. There is no automatic right for divorced couples to marry in a church but rules were relaxed in 2002.
But a source said: “They have the vicar’s permission.”
Peter who is Princess Anne’s son and counts the King as his uncle divorced Autumn Kelly in 2021 after 13 years of marriage. NHS nurse Harriet is divorced from her fitness instructor husband.
King Edward VIII abdicated in 1936 in order to marry twice-divorced American Wallis Simpson. Divorcee Meghan Markle was given a white wedding at Windsor Castle with the kate Queen in attendance when she and Harry shared vows in 2018 even though she had married before.
It’s so funny that these people are still clutching their pearls over “Harry married a divorcee!!” Your whole-ass Queen Side-chick is a divorcee. King Charles divorced his first wife. Princess Anne divorced her first husband and remarried as well. Not to mention Prince Andrew is divorced too. BUT MEGHAN!! BUT WALLIS!! Anyway, I wonder if Peter and Harriet were even offered the option of having a “royal wedding” in Windsor this time. They probably would have rejected that option if it had been offered, but I’d still like to know if it was offered.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.
