Princess Beatrice and Eugenie floor at Royal marriage ceremony as Harry lacking over invite snub
Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie joined the Firm for the first time in months at the wedding of Peter Phillips and Harriet Sperling, while Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were not invited to the event
Princess Beatrice and Eugenie at their cousin’s wedding today(Image: Getty Images)
Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie have reunited with the Royal Family for the first time in months as they gather to mark the marriage of Peter Phillips and Harriet Sperling.
The link-up marks their first inclusion in a major Royal Family occasion since their father Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest. The siblings also faced increased attention this week following revelations that they pay nothing towards their palace residences, with the King covering the costs.
The York princesses made their entrance to the ceremony strolling into the church with their spouses Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and Jack Brooksbank. Cousin Zara Tindall embraced them at the church entrance before they discreetly made their way inside.
The two have been accompanied at today’s ceremony for Princess Anne’s son by the King and Queen, the Prince and Princess of Wales and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh. The bridegroom’s mother Princess Anne stood out in bright yellow as she witnessed her son’s marriage ceremony beside her husband Sir Timothy Laurence.
While numerous Royal Family members attended, not all secured invitations as certain familiar faces were absent. Predictably, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson weren’t asked along, following their involvement in the Epstein controversy. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were also noticeably absent from the guest list, as their ongoing feud with the Royal Family continues. It’s thought that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex weren’t extended an invitation due to sources claiming Harry and Peter haven’t been in contact for years. The Daily Mail has reported that the strained relationship between Harry and his cousin largely originates from an incident nearly two decades ago.
Harry was reportedly enraged after Peter’s first wedding to Canadian Autumn Kelly in 2008, when he negotiated a deal with Hello! magazine to sell exclusive rights for an estimated £500,000, without informing the family.
Harry was particularly irked as he had brought along his then-girlfriend Chelsy Davy as a guest and had chosen this occasion to introduce her to his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, for the first time, showing their relationship was becoming increasingly serious.
While the prince knew a photographer was present, he assumed they were there for Peter and Autumn’s personal album and was unaware the photos would end up in the magazine, reports the Mirror.
Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond previously said the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were also omitted from the guest list to prevent them from overshadowing the joyous event.
She stated: “Wedding guest lists are so often a nightmare! Who to include, who to leave out? Who will be offended? And the biggest no-no is to take attention away from the bride on her big day. That’s undoubtedly what would happen if Harry, with or without Meghan, came to Peter and Harriet’s wedding.”
The royal expert elaborated it probably won’t come as a shock to Harry that he hasn’t been invited to his cousin’s nuptials given the tense family dynamics, which could cast a shadow over the entire event. Jennie stated: “It’s clear that the rift between Harry and his father and brother has had repercussions throughout the whole family.
“It’s an incredibly sensitive situation and all the rest of the family can really do is try not to cause further upset.
“I think Harry will understand, but he used to be close to his cousin, Peter, and it’s only natural that he will feel rather excluded on such a big occasion. Peter is closer in age to William and, since Harry’s decision to leave the UK, they obviously see one another much more. It’s a sad situation, but until or unless the rift is mended, Harry is likely to find himself left out of any big family gathering.”
Mr Phillips, the late Queen’s eldest grandchild and a nephew of King Charles, announced his engagement to mum-of-one Harriet in August.
The 48-year-old, who is 19th in the queue for the throne, was formerly wed to Autumn Kelly, with whom he shares two daughters, Isla and Savannah. He also had a long-term relationship with Lindsay Wallace before they parted ways in 2024. After the relationship ended Phillips fell for Harriet, an NHS paediatric nurse, who has a teenage daughter named Georgia.
Their first public outing as a pair was in the summer of 2024 at the Badminton Horse Trials, where Harriet rubbed shoulders with Anne, future sister-in-law Zara, and Queen Camilla.
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