Two Royals, Two Rings: Peter Phillips and Lady Eliza Spencer Announce Engagements

The British royal family is celebrating a double dose of joyous news this summer as two of its extended members—Peter Phillips and Lady Eliza Spencer—have both announced their engagements.

Peter Phillips, the 47-year-old son of Princess Anne and the late Captain Mark Phillips, is officially engaged to his girlfriend of one year, Harriet Sperling. The couple confirmed their engagement in a statement on Friday, which read:

'Mr Peter Phillips, the son of HRH The Princess Royal and Captain Mark Phillips, and Ms Harriet Sperling, daughter of the late Mr Rupert Sanders and Mrs Mary Sanders of Gloucestershire, have today confirmed their official engagement. Both families were informed jointly of the announcement and were delighted with the wonderful news of their engagement.'

The King and Queen, along with the Prince and Princess of Wales, have reportedly expressed their happiness over the news.

Harriet's Soft Debut into the Royal Fold

Harriet, a mother-of-one and NHS nurse, first stepped into the royal spotlight last year when she was seen accompanying Peter at the Badminton Horse Trials. The couple have since attended multiple high-profile events together, including Wimbledon, Cheltenham Races, and most recently Royal Ascot—where Harriet's appearance in a royal procession carriage was seen by many as her soft debut into the royal fold.

Pictures published by Hello! show a radiant Harriet showing off her diamond engagement ring as she poses with Peter, whose love life has been closely followed since his 2021 divorce from Canadian-born Autumn Kelly, the mother of his two daughters, Savannah and Isla.

Following a split with long-term partner Lindsay Wallace in early 2024, Peter found love once again with Harriet. Their relationship, said to be rooted in mutual understanding and support, has earned praise from royal watchers for its quiet dignity and warmth.

Lady Eliza Spencer says 'Yes' in Santorini

Meanwhile, in a picturesque proposal straight out of a fairytale, Princess Diana's glamorous niece Lady Eliza Spencer has also announced her engagement to her longtime partner, Channing Millerd. The 33-year-old model, who is the daughter of Earl Charles Spencer and the first cousin of Prince William and Prince Harry, shared the news on Instagram, showing off her stunning engagement ring and the romantic Santorini backdrop.

The couple's decade-long romance began at a dinner party in South Africa, and the two have reportedly been inseparable since. 'We have such a strong, loving and supportive relationship. He truly is my best friend,' Eliza told Hello! in a previous interview. 'I absolutely believe he's The One – our bond is built on so much trust, laughter and shared values.'

Congratulatory messages quickly poured in from the Spencer clan. Lady Amelia Spencer, Eliza's twin, wrote: 'The best news ever. I couldn't be happier for you both!' while their older sister, Lady Kitty Spencer, added: 'So happy for you and love you both very much.'

Eliza, Amelia, Kitty, and brother Louis were raised in South Africa and were just young children when their aunt Princess Diana died in 1997. In a 2021 Tatler interview, the sisters reminisced about their 'incredibly warm, maternal and loving' aunt, with Eliza recalling the magnitude of her family's loss: 'It was only later that I came to understand the significance of the loss of her as a figure in the world.'

A Season of Celebration

While no wedding dates have been announced for either couple, royal fans are already abuzz with anticipation. Peter's engagement marks a hopeful new chapter in his life following years of personal upheaval, while Eliza's long-awaited engagement is the latest milestone in a love story that spans continents and years.

With two weddings on the horizon, it looks like 2025 is shaping up to be a banner year for royal romance.