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 put the royals on display as they attended the Easter Sunday service in Windsor today.
Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth’s eldest grandson walked hand in hand with his NHS nurse fiancee as they arrived at St George’s Chapel.
The happy couple was closely followed by Peter’s children, Savannah and Isla, and, for the first time, by Harriet’s 13-year-old daughter, Georgina.
Harriet looked elegant in a sky blue polka dot peplum jacket and skirt, Jane Taylor hat and Kiki McDonough earrings.
Despite windy conditions, they were led on foot from Windsor Castle by the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children.
The large and especially young group were chatting happily as they walked.
Kate wore an off-white skirt, a smart jacket and a leafy hat, while William and the boys wore navy blue suits and ties.
Wearing a beautiful dress under a warm camel coat with a brown velvet collar and cuffs, Princess Charlotte looked delighted and waved to the crowd. Louis walked proudly next to him.
Peter Phillips and Harriet Sperling showed off their royal blended family by attending the Easter Sunday service in Windsor today.
Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth’s eldest grandchild walked hand-in-hand with his NHS nurse fiancee as they arrived at St George’s Chapel with 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 Easter Mass at St George’s Chapel
The group also included the Princess Crown and Vice-Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, and the Duke of Edinburgh and his son James, Earl of Wessex, 18.
At the back of the group were Lady Sarah Chatto and her husband Daniel.
Peter, who is 19th in the line of succession, answered the question with a sparkling ring designed by the same jeweler behind his iconic 1946 ring, a subtle yet touching tribute to his beloved grandmother.
Harriet herself has wealthy connections and has a relationship with the Duke of Gloucester through her late father, Rupert Sperling.
Following the hour-long ceremony, which included prayers for the Royal Family and the singing of the National Anthem, the royal party moved from the chapel to the deanery for tea with the Dean of Windsor, the Reverend Christopher Cocksworth.
About 20 minutes later, Charles appeared next to Camilla, where 10-year-old Kit Bannan, a member of the Windsor Castle community, delivered a beautiful epigram.
The King and Queen’s State Bentley had stood outside with no plans for a walk given how cold and windy the weather was, but given the cheers from the public waiting patiently outside the chapel, the couple wandered around for an abbreviated meet and greet.
Among them was seven-year-old Frank Gates, from Egremont in Cumbria, smartly dressed in the uniform of the Coldstream Guards and proudly saluting his Colonel-in-Chief, the King.
Before they arrived he said: ‘I really want to be in the Coldstream Guards when I grow up.’ When asked why, she sweetly said: ‘Because they are second to none.’
Royal ‘super fan’ John Loughrey, from south London, later said he spotted Her Majesty’s flags: ‘He said he saw our flags and wished us a happy Easter.’
As the carriage drove away, other members of the royal party ascended the stairs, led by the Welsh; They all, including the Welsh, happily waved to well-wishers wishing them a ‘Happy Easter’.
As they walked up the hill towards the castle, Catherine could be seen proudly hugging her daughter Charlotte, putting her arm around her shoulders and squeezing her.
Peter and Harriet held hands as they walked towards the castle. They were followed by Princess Anne and her husband, followed by her granddaughter, Savannah, and Isla Phillips and her soon-to-be half-sister, Georgina.
Former royal butler Grant Harrold previously told the Daily Mail he was almost certain the pair would not be constrained by traditional royal protocol.
Admitting that times are ‘very different’ now, he said: ‘Historically, yes, royal weddings, if you were divorced and remarried, it was always a much more low-key affair.’
While it seems unlikely Peter will follow all the Firm’s traditions on the big day, Mr Harrold is confident Peter and Harriet will likely enjoy an ‘all white wedding’.
She adds: ‘Even though she’s divorced, I think she’ll still want to do something. ‘I still think it’s going to be a pure white wedding thing.’
Harriet herself is known for having strong religious roots; She has previously shared how she drew great strength from her Christian faith as she struggled through the early years of single parenthood, when ‘resources were scarce and the future uncertain’.
He explained in a 2009 interview that ‘he always had faith in me but it was kind of dormant’.
He added: ‘Somehow it didn’t seem to have much to do with my life in London. But the end of a seven-year relationship was the turning point for me. ‘I went to church because I felt something was missing.’
In an essay she wrote for Christian magazine Woman Alive last year, she also admitted that she often found living as a single parent difficult, but found solace after turning to her faith.
