An Intimate Royal Wedding in the Cotswolds 

Princess Anne’s son, Peter Phillips, has married his fiancée Harriet Sperling. Although the church wedding was intimate, the guest list featured some impressive royal names, including Peter’s uncle, His Majesty the King.

Businessman Peter met his new bride Harriet, an NHS pediatric nurse, through their teenage daughters. The three girls, Savannah, Isla (Peter’s daughters) and Georgina (Harriet’s daughter) play hockey together, and made a gorgeous team of bridesmaids at the Gloucestershire ceremony.

The wedding took place in All Saints Church in Kemble, Gloucestershire, where the bride used to live. Royal guests included the King and Queen, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, the Prince and Princess of Wales and of course the groom’s mother, the Princess Royal.

Harriet wore a lace-overlaid wedding gown by Emilia Wickstead, along with a veil, a pair of Jimmy Choo slingbacks and a Pragnell tiara. The stunning dress had an elegantly simple column shape, with long sleeves and a high collar. Her bridesmaids also wore Emilia Wickstead dresses, accessorised with flower crowns and satin ballet pumps. The groom sported a black longline blazer and traditional pinstripe trousers.

After the ceremony, the wedding party departed to Gatcombe Park for the reception. This beautiful Georgian manor house is Peter’s childhood home, given to his mother in 1976 by his late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.

Recreate this romantic English wedding 

While we can’t guarantee a royal guest list, we can promise many of the key elements of Peter and Harriet’s perfect English wedding.

For a genuinely regal feel, Gosfield Hall in Essex was once a royal palace. The Marquis of Buckingham’s Ballroom makes a splendid setting for your reception, while Queen Charlotte’s Gallery is an exquisite space for a wedding ceremony.

If you’d like a Church of England service or blessing, there is a lovely parish church near our St Audries Park wedding venue in Somerset. Alternatively, the beautiful Italianate manor Bourton Hall has a former Catholic chapel: an excellent compromise if you want the traditional feel of a church wedding but would prefer a civil ceremony.

There is something about the light elegance of Georgian architecture that’s perfect for weddings. Like Gatcombe Park, Clearwell Castle is a Georgian country estate in Gloucestershire, with the added attraction of its Forest of Dean location. Its castellated architecture brings a dash of fairytale romance to the occasion.

Peter and Harriet chose to have a smaller, more intimate wedding. Many of our couples are opting for this friendly, family-orientated approach, and we offer intimate wedding packages in all our country house venues.

Plan your own perfect wedding

Wherever you choose to say “I do”, you’ll be treated like royalty by our expert wedding team. As the Phillips wedding party had at Gatcombe Park, you’ll have the whole estate to yourselves for the day with exclusive use of the house and grounds. We even have onsite guest accommodation (and some simply gorgeous honeymoon suites).

To find out more, speak to our wedding planners and arrange a personal tour.