Why Peter Phillips’ Bride Is Turning to Queen Camilla’s Bridal Rulebook for Her Royal Wedding
As Harriet Sperling’s royal wedding nears, one expert thinks Queen Camilla’s bridal style could offer a clue about her big-day look.
Second marriages in the royal family are not uncommon, and Peter Phillips and Harriet Sperling are the latest couple to follow that path. As the wedding day nears, one question remains, and that is whether Sperling will adorn a tiara for her big day. Now, one expert has weighed in on the matter and said Queen Camilla could offer a clue as to what the bride may wear on the day of her nuptials.
Jewelry expert Nilesh Rakholia told InStyle, “Historically, second royal weddings tend to lean much more understated in their jewelry language, with less emphasis on overt bridal grandeur.” As an example, he points to King Charles and Camilla’s 2005 wedding, where the Queen skipped the tiara altogether and opted for a striking feathered Philip Treacy headpiece instead. He added, “That choice quietly established a modern precedent for senior royal second weddings moving away from heavily ceremonial jewelry.”
Rakholia noted that Camilla skipped wearing a tiara for both her civil wedding and later blessing at Windsor. He said, “Camilla notably chose not to wear a tiara for her civil wedding or subsequent blessing at Windsor.” Instead, she opted for a hat that gave her bridal look a more relaxed and modern feel compared to traditional royal wedding style.
But the question is still up in the air, and royal watchers have been wondering if Sperling will top off her bridal look with a tiara. For comparison, Peter Phillips’ first wife, Autumn Kelly, did wear one at their 2008 wedding, choosing Princess Anne’s Festoon Tiara. It is the same piece Anne had also worn during her 1973 engagement portraits with Mark Phillips.
Rakholia pointed out that Autumn Kelly, wearing the Festoon Tiara, set a clear precedent for Harriet Sperling, despite not holding a royal title. As he explained to InStyle, “Within royal and aristocratic weddings, tiaras are often more about family inclusion and occasion dressing than formal rank.” When a friend of the couple revealed that the wedding would be an intimate affair, the jewelry expert emphasized, “That makes it more likely Harriet would favor jewelry that feels elegant and personal rather than heavily dynastic.”
If Sperling does decide to wear a tiara, Rakholia thinks Anne’s Meander Tiara could be a frontrunner. “The Meander has a much cleaner, more architectural silhouette than some of the larger royal tiaras. That makes it feel surprisingly contemporary, especially for a wedding expected to be more understated.”
The couple is set to tie the knot on Saturday, 6 June, in Kemble, Gloucestershire, with a private ceremony planned at All Saints Church. Several senior royals are expected to attend, including Princess Anne, King Charles, and Prince William. However, reports suggest Prince Harry and Meghan Markle did not make the guest list, and neither did Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson.
