Peter Phillips and his fiancee Harriet Sperling show off their royal blended family with his two daughters and her daughter, 13, in attendance at Windsor Easter service
Peter Phillips and Harriet Sperling showcased their royal blended family as they attended the Easter Sunday service in Windsor today.
Queen Elizabeth II’s eldest grandchild walked hand-in-hand with his NHS nurse fiancée as they arrived at St George’s Chapel.
The happy couple were closely followed by Peter’s children, Savannah and Isla, and, for the first time, Harriet’s 13-year-old daughter, Georgina.
Harriet looked elegant in a sky blue spotted peplum jacket and skirt with a Jane Taylor hat and Kiki McDonough earrings.
They had been led by the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children on foot from Windsor Castle, despite the blustery conditions.
The large – and notably young – party chatted happily as they walked.
Kate wore an off-white ensemble of skirt, smart jacket and leafy hat, while William and the boys wore dark blue suits and ties.
Princess Charlotte, sporting a pretty dress under a warm camel-coloured coat with a brown velvet collar and cuffs, looked delighted and waved to the crowd. Louis walked proudly beside her.
Peter Phillips and Harriet Sperling showcased their royal blended family as they attended the Easter Sunday service in Windsor today
Queen Elizabeth II’s eldest grandchild walked hand-in-hand with his NHS nurse fiancée as they arrived at St George’s Chapel alongside Peter’s children, Savannah and Isla, and, for the first time, Harriet’s 13-year-old daughter, Georgina (all pictured)
Isla Phillips, Harriet Sperling’s daughter Georgina and Savannah Phillips leave after attending the Easter Service at St George’s Chapel
Also in the group were The Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, with The Duke of Edinburgh and his son James, Earl of Wessex, 18.
At the rear of the group were Lady Sarah Chatto and her husband, Daniel.
Peter, 19th in the line of succession, popped the question with a sparkling ring which boasts a subtle but touching tribute to his beloved grandmother, having been designed by the same jeweller behind her iconic 1946 ring.
Harriet herself boasts wealthy connections, sharing a relation to the Duke of Gloucester through her late father, Rupert Sperling.
After the hour-long service – during which prayers were said for the Royal Family and the National Anthem sung – the royal party moved from the chapel to the deanery for tea with the Dean of Windsor, The Right Reverend Christopher Cocksworth.
After around 20 minutes, Charles appeared alongside Camilla, who was presented with a beautiful posy by Kit Bannan, 10, a member of the Windsor Castle community.
The King and Queen’s State Bentley had drawn up outside with no plans for a walkabout given how cold and windy it was, but the couple walked around it to undertake a shortened meet-and-greet given the cheers of the public waiting patiently outside the chapel.
Among them was Frank Gates, seven, from Egremont in Cumbria, who was smartly dressed in the uniform of the Coldstream Guards and proudly saluted his Colonel-in-Chief, the King.
Before their arrival he said: ‘I really want to be in the Coldstream Guards when I am older.’ Asked why, he said sweetly: ‘Because they are second to none.’
Royal ‘superfan’ John Loughrey, from south London, said afterwards that His Majesty had spotted their flags: ‘He said he had seen our flags and wished us happy Easter.’
As the car drew away, the other members of the royal party came up the steps, led by the Waleses, who all – children included – waved happily to well-wishers wishing them ‘Happy Easter’.
As they walked back up the hill to the castle, Catherine could be seen giving her daughter, Charlotte, a proud hug, placing her arm around her shoulders and squeezing her.
Peter and Harriet held hands as they walked back to the castle. They were followed by Princess Anne and her husband, then her granddaughter, Savannah and Isla Phillips, along with her soon-to-be step-sister, Georgina.
Former royal butler Grant Harrold previously told the Daily Mail that he is almost certain the pair will not be restrained by traditional royal protocol.
Acknowledging that times are ‘very different’ now, he said: ‘Historically, yes, royal weddings, if you’re divorced and you got married again, it was always a much more low key affair.’
Yet, while Peter is seemingly unlikely to abide by all of the traditions of the Firm on the big day, Mr Harrold is confident that Peter and Harriet will likely enjoy an ‘all-white wedding.’
He adds: ‘I think he’ll still want to do things even though he’s the divorcee. I still think it will be a full-blown white wedding affair.’
Harriet herself is known for having strong religious roots – having previously shared how she took great strength from her Christian faith as she battled through the early years of single parenthood when ‘resources were scarce and the future was uncertain.’
In an interview in 2009, she revealed that her ‘faith was always in me, but it was kind of dormant’.
She added: ‘Somehow it didn’t seem relevant to my life in London. But the end of a seven-year relationship was the turning point for me. I went to church as I felt there was something missing.’
In a piece written for Christian magazine Woman Alive last year, she also admitted that she’d often found life as a single parent difficult, but found comfort after turning to her faith.