Meet Harriet Sperling, the paediatric nurse soon to become the next royal bride

A paediatric nurse will soon become the next royal bride and member of the House of Windsor following a whirlwind romance.

Harriet Sperling, 45, is the fiancee of Peter Phillips, 48, the son of the Princess Royal and the eldest grandchild of the late Queen Elizabeth II.

The couple announced their engagement in August 2025, just over a year after making their relationship public.

Since their first appearance together at the Badminton Horse Trials in May 2024, Sperling has attended a number of high-profile events with Phillips.

But the biggest indication of the seriousness of their romance came when Sperling made her carriage debut in the royal procession at Royal Ascot in June 2025.

Seated next to Phillips, Sperling's future as a royal bride was all but cemented.

Phillips is 19th in-line to the British throne and has two daughters, Savannah, 15, and Isla, 14, with his ex-wife, Autumn Kelly. They separated in 2020 and divorced a year later.

Sperling also has a teenage daughter, Georgina, 13, from her previous marriage to Antonio St John Sperling, a fitness instructor.

Their public appearances

Sperling first came to public attention when she was seen at the at the Badminton Horse Trials in May, 2024, with Phillips.

They were there with Phillips' two daughters, his sister Zara Tindall and her husband Mike, and Queen Camilla.

At the time, a friend of Phillips told The Telegraph UK the pair was "enjoying each other's company and spending time together like any normal couple".

An onlooker added of Sperling: "She looked very happy and relaxed in his company and pleased to be shown off at one of the biggest social events in the equestrian world".

They had reportedly met at another sporting event involving their children.

What followed were further appearances at the royal family's popular summer events: Royal Ascot – where Spurling was seen in conversation with King Charles and Queen Camilla, followed by Wimbledon and the Royal Charity Polo Cup, supporting Prince William.

They returned to the Badminton Horse Trials in 2025, one year on from their public debut.

They were also seen together at the Bahrain Grand Prix in April alongside Phillips' cousins, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.

A month later, they were back at Royal Ascot where Sperling rode in carriage three during the royal procession.

Two days later, the couple attended Ladies' Day at Ascot and in July, they were seated in the Royal Box at Wimbledon alongside Queen Camilla.

They also attended the Out-Sourcing Inc Royal Charity Polo Cup 2025 at the Guards Polo Club in Windsor Great Park, once again in support of Prince William.

While Sperling didn't join the royals for their annual Christmas Day outing, she made her first appearance with the family, including King Charles, for the Sunday mass at St Mary Magdalene Church.

Another major 'first' came in Easter 2026, when Georgina attended her first royal event.

Joined by her mother and Phillips, the teen was photographed walking to the Easter service at Windsor Castle with her soon-to-be stepsisters Savannah and Isla.

Sperling's fashion credentials

At all of the events, Sperling has showcased a penchant for royal-approved British brands and in her engagement photos she chose Me+Em, a label occasionally worn by the Princess of Wales.

She's also worn Suzannah London (a high-end brand frequently seen on the Duchess of Edinburgh) and Beulah London to Ascot 2025 and at Wimbledon chose a two-piece blue set by Wiggy Kit by designer Wiggy Hindmarch who described Sperling as "a style icon in the making".

For her very first outing, Sperling chose a blue Zara midi dress.

Former Vogue editor and rumoured fashion adviser to the Princess of Wales, Virginia Chadwyck-Healey, said Sperling's new-found fame could be a double-edged sword.

"She might have a few more brands now wanting to offer her clothes to wear," she told The Telegraph UK.

"That doesn't make it easier per se; it can actually make it harder, so her discerning eye will have to do its best to seek out the true gems that allow her to shine, and not the other way round."

Sperling has also been seen in other brands loved by the Princess of Wales: Penelope Chilvers, Anya Hindmarch and Finlay.

Sperling's career and faith

After studying at St Mary's University in Twickenham, Sperling became a nurse specialising in paediatric care at Evelina London Children's Hospital, working for Britain's National Health Service.

The Princess of Wales has been patron of the hospital since 2018.

She is "passionate about early brain development in babies and seeing children thrive", according to her online biography.

In 2010 Sperling was part of a medical team who helped save the life of a critically ill baby, who had been struck down by a deadly virus.

Sperling is a devout Christian and last year spoke about how her Christian faith had provided solace while she dealing with being a single mother.

In an article for Christian magazine Woman Alive, Sperling said she had brought her daughter up alone.

"Resources were scarce and the future was uncertain," she said.

"Yet, in the absence of material security, I discovered the strength and life that comes from true, selfless love.

"My daughter and I journeyed 10 years with only each other. I liken us to an island and it has often felt hard to imagine anyone joining that island."

Sperling also said her faith helped with her work as a nurse which she said could be "quite stressful and emotionally engaging".

But in her younger years, Sperling described herself as "a real party girl"

While living in London she was "going to famous nightclubs and spending a lot of time in Ibiza during the summer".

Her royal link

Sperling was born in 1980 and has one brother and two sisters. Her parents are the late solicitor Rupert Sanders and Mary Hoskins.

She is related to the Duke of Gloucester through her father, who died in 2023.

View gallery

All the defining photos of the British royal family in 2025

He attended the wedding of his first cousin, Timothy de Zoete, to Moyra Dawnay, Princess Alice's niece in 1969.

The engagement

Phillips and Sperling announced their engagement in August 2025.

"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," their statement said.

"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. No date has been officially set for the wedding."

Their news was first shared with a Hello! magazine in a cover story which featured a photo of the couple smiling in the countryside.

Sperling's new diamond ring was seen for the first time.

The photos were said to have been taken privately with no commercial arrangement made with the publication.

However, the announcement was a reminder of when Phillips caused a stir by selling exclusivity rights for his 2008 wedding to Kelly to Hello! for a reported £500,000 (approx. $1.5 million).

Unprecedented access was given to St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle and was later seen by Buckingham Palace as a major error of judgment.

Queen Elizabeth, who was not consulted in advance, later banned other senior royals from benefitting from such deals.

The royal wedding

The wedding will be held on June 6 at at All Saints Church in Kemble, Cirencester, near Phillips' home in Gatcombe Park.

It won't be a huge royal wedding like those we've seen before, but is expected to be attended by the King and Queen and other senior Windsors.

The wedding is likely to prompt speculation about the coming together of another family: Prince William and Prince Harry.

It's likely the two brothers will be invited to the nuptials as they grew up with Phillips.

In 2019, at the funeral of the Duke of Edinburgh at Windsor Castle, Phillips acted as an intermediary between the feuding brothers and was seen walking in between them during the procession from St George's Chapel.

The trio was also seen together at the mourning events for the late Queen in 2022.

The last time Prince William and Prince Harry were at a church service, together, was when they attended the memorial for their uncle, Lord Robert Fellowes, in Norfolk in 2024.

However, the two men were said to have kept their distance and avoided any interaction with each other throughout the event.