Over the past year, Prince William has been taking on more and more responsibility, after his dad King Charles was diagnosed with cancer. Now, royal experts are predicting that the Prince of Wales will be embracing another “emotional” new role in the wake of happy news from a “close” royal relative.
Earlier this week, Princess Anne’s son, Peter Phillips, announced his engagement to nurse Harriet Sperling after a year of dating. This will be the second royal wedding for Phillips, who split from his first wife, Autumn Phillips, in 2019. Now, royal experts are suggesting that Prince William could play quite an important role in his cousin Peter’s next wedding.
Danielle Stacey, the online royal correspondent for Hello! magazine, told the outlet, “Peter has always been viewed as a supportive older brother figure to Prince William. They’ve had a very close relationship throughout their lives.”
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Stacey continued, “Peter has regularly supported William at his polo charity events. Last year, he was even spotted sharing a laugh with [Princess] Kate on the sidelines, highlighting how relaxed their bond is.”
Peter Phillips is engaged to nurse Harriet Sperling.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
The royal editor of Hello!, Emily Nash, also weighed in on the possibility of the Prince of Wales stepping into an important role at the royal wedding. “Peter is close not just to King Charles but particularly to William and Harry,” Nash told the outlet. “It would certainly be fitting and emotional for Peter to have William standing alongside him.”
Nash also confirmed that Sperling has already “been warmly welcomed into the fold” of the Royal Family. “This is wonderful news for Peter and Harriet but also the entire Royal Family,” Nash said.
Princess Anne sitting with Prince William.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
During an appearance on Good Morning Britain in 2016, Peter Phillips revealed his close connection with Prince William. “We had a lot of fun and there was a lot of space for kids to run around in and it wasn’t just us, it was the Waleses [William and Harry], Freddie and Ella Windsor, and the Gloucesters,” Princess Anne’s son explained (via the Mirror). “So there was quite a gang of us growing up in that age and it was a lot of fun. We caused quite a bit of mayhem and chaos but fortunately I don’t think we broke too much!”
