Royal family tradition in question as Peter Phillips prepares to marry Harriet Sperling
Princess Anne may soon be making an important choice about her jewellery box. Her son, Peter Phillips, announced his engagement to Harriet Sperling on 1 August, with the couple sharing their news in a formal statement. The announcement confirmed the match between the son of the Princess Royal and Captain Mark Phillips and the daughter of the late Rupert Sanders and Mary Sanders of Gloucestershire.
As the pair prepare for their wedding, royal watchers are wondering whether Harriet will walk down the aisle wearing a tiara. Princess Anne has previously lent family heirlooms to her children for their weddings. When Peter married Autumn Kelly in 2008, Anne loaned her the Festoon Tiara, a striking piece gifted to her by the World-Wide Shipping Group in 1973. Autumn paired it with a gown by Sassi Holford and diamond and pearl earrings. Similarly, when Zara Tindall wed Mike Tindall in 2011, she wore the Greek Key Tiara, also known as Princess Andrew’s Meander Tiara, which originally belonged to Princess Alice, mother of Prince Philip.
Still, there is precedent for royal brides opting out of tiaras at second weddings. Princess Anne herself chose to wear flowers in her hair when she married Sir Tim Laurence in 1989, while Queen Camilla selected Philip Treacy hats rather than a tiara for her wedding to King Charles.
The question remains: will Harriet follow tradition and wear a sparkling heirloom, or will she take a different path?
