King and Queen make 100-mile helicopter dash from royal wedding to Epsom for the Derby
The King and Queen made the 100-mile journey by helicopter from their nephew’s wedding in the Cotswolds to reach the Epsom Derby in Surrey, where they will present the trophy to the winner on Saturday afternoon.
When Charles and Camilla arrived at All Saints Church in Kemble, Gloucestershire, they were overjoyed to see Peter Phillips, 48, son of the Princess Crown, and NHS nurse Harriet Sperling getting married.
They were joined by the Prince and Princess of Wales, the groom’s sister and brother-in-law Zara and Mike Tindall and their daughters Mia and Lena, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and their son James, Earl of Wessex.
Also in the congregation were the groom’s cousins Princess Eugenie and Beatrice and their husbands Jack Brooksbank and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, but the Duke and Duchess of Sussex did not attend the ceremony.
However, after the ceremony, Charles and Camilla had to fly to Epsom by helicopter for the derby, one of the most important days in the horse racing calendar.
Telegram They arrived by car at All Saints Church in Kemble at 12.48pm for the 1pm wedding and then left at 2pm.
About five minutes earlier a helicopter had been heard landing nearby and the King and Queen were then taken there.
A palace source told Telegram: “Their Royal Highnesses were keen to show support for one of the racing industry’s most important days and unfortunately it turned out to coincide with a family event they were equally keen to be a part of.
“Fortunately, a workaround was developed that meant it was pretty much possible to attend both and I know they were looking forward to every element of a very special but very busy day – one with a bit of racing of their own.”
He won the race on Saturday afternoon on Christmas Day, winning strongly by two and three-quarter lengths, with Maltese Cross second best for the home team and James J Braddock third.
The reception and wedding in the Cotswolds was organized by event planners Peregrine Armstrong Jones and Caroline Armstrong-Jones from Bentleys Entertainments, with assistance from Flora Williams-Ellis.
They have also held other events and parties for the royal family, including Anne’s 40th, 50th and 60th birthday celebrations, as well as Mr Phillips’ 21st birthday celebrations at Windsor Castle in 1998.
Bentleys Entertainments also worked on many of Zara Tindall’s birthdays, as well as her wedding to Mike Tindall at Holyrood Palace in Scotland in 2011, and David and Victoria Beckham’s wedding in 1999.
The floral arches and displays in the church were installed by Millie Richardson and villagers were invited to pick up the pieces after the regular service on Sunday.
Mr Phillips lives on the Gatcombe Park estate near Minchinhampton.
The son of Anne and her first husband, Captain Mark Phillips, the 48-year-old is the King’s nephew, William and Harry’s first cousin and Zara’s brother.
Mr. Phillips separated from his first wife, Autumn, in 2020 after 12 years of marriage and shared custody of their two children.
They married in a grand royal wedding at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle in 2008.
Mr Phillips’ engagement to Ms Sperling, whom he started dating in 2024, was announced in August last year.
The couple were guests of Charles and Camilla at Royal Ascot in June and were invited to join the royal family in their traditional carriage procession around the famous Berkshire racecourse to mark the start of the day.
