A royal wedding is on the horizon, and while the event will be a happy occasion for the Royal Family, the rift between the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex could prove to be a problem

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Prince William and Prince Harry may not get an invite to their cousin’s wedding due to their rift(Image: Martin Meissner/AP/REX/Shutterstock)

A royal wedding is just around the corner, as Princess Anne’s son Peter Phillips revealed the date for his nuptials with NHS nurse Harriet Sperling. Earlier this week, Peter announced that their summer wedding will take place on Saturday, June 6 in a private ceremony at All Saints Church, Kemble in Cirencester.

The couple say that the King and Queen as well as the Prince and Princess of Wales have also been informed of the announcement and that further details will be announced in due course. And while a royal wedding is a joyous occasion, a royal expert believes Prince Harry and Prince William ’s rift could be a problem.

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Peter Phillips with wife-to-be Harriet Sperling(Image: PA)

Peter and Harriet have been together since the spring of 2024, with the NHS nurse, who is also a single mother to a teenage daughter from a previous relationship, showing up for royal events over the last year. Just yesterday, they joined the rest of the Royal Family for annual Easter Sunday celebrations, along with Harriet’s teenage daughter Georgina.

According to former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond, the wedding of Peter and Harriet will be a welcome change from the current turmoil for the Royal Family. She told the Mirror : “A wedding is always a happy distraction, and the news of Peter and Harriet’s wedding will have been welcomed by the family.

“She has already proved quite a hit, especially with her future sister-in-law, Zara, and husband Mike Tindall. I think they’re very wise to have a private ceremony… with the way things are, it will take a huge amount of strain away from what will hopefully be the happiest day of their lives.”

While the ceremony will be a small and private affair, it is unclear which members of the Royal Family will get an invitation. Many have already started to speculate whether Peter will invite his first cousins Harry and William, given their years long estrangement.

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Harry and William have been estranged for several years (Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

As Jennie explained: “There is, of course, the dilemma about whether William or Harry or both should be invited. Peter has been a great support over the years to both of them. He walked between them as a sort of buffer at the late Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral and was a shoulder for them to cry on after their mother’s death.

“The rift between the brothers must be difficult for Peter to negotiate. But he now has the get-out clause of saying this is just a small private wedding and thus excusing both William and Harry from attending.”

Jennie believes Harriet, who will be Peter’s second wife, has been welcomed into the Royal Family with open arms, particularly by Princess Kate, given the two women’s shared interest in children’s development.

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Peter and Harriet will tie the knot on June 6(Image: Victoria Jones/Shutterstock)

“Harriet does seem to have slotted into her semi-royal life with Peter very easily,” Jennie said. “She has looked elegant and at ease in the company of the rest of the Royals and I’m sure she will have the respect of Catherine in particular.

“As an NHS paediatric nurse who is particularly interested in early brain development in babies and in ensuring that children thrive, she will have much in common with the Princess. I think she’ll be a welcome addition to the wider family.”