Royal Family Dynamics at Peter Phillips’ Wedding
King Charles and Queen Camilla are set to leave the wedding festivities of Peter Phillips this Saturday, just as the guests are about to raise a toast to the groom and his second wife, Harriet Sperling. The event is taking place at Princess Anne’s Gatcombe Park estate in Gloucestershire. After witnessing the 48-year-old exchange vows with the NHS paediatric nurse at All Saints church in Kemble, the royal couple will head off to watch the Epsom Derby over 100 miles away in Surrey.
One senior member of the Royal Family who will remain for the entire celebration is Prince William. His presence is particularly notable given his previous absence from a similar event.
‘William and Catherine will be at the wedding ceremony and reception,’ a source revealed. The heir to the throne is keen to make amends for not attending his cousin Peter’s first wedding in 2008. Instead, he attended a different wedding – that of an old friend, Batian Craig, in Africa. This Maasai-themed ceremony was vastly different from Peter’s traditional wedding to Canadian-born Autumn Kelly at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle.
William’s Absence Echoes a Pivotal Moment in His Own Love Story
During the Kenya ceremony, brightly-dressed Maasai elders poured milk over Batian and his bride, British-born Melissa Duveen, and offered prayers for long life and happiness. A senior royal source explained at the time: ‘Prince William is going to be out of the country this weekend on a long-standing prior engagement.’
Batian is the brother of Jecca Craig, with whom William became close before university. They were even rumoured to have had a ‘pretend engagement’ ceremony. At William’s ‘Out Of Africa’-themed 21st birthday party at Windsor Castle three years later, Jecca was guest of honour and was seated next to the prince.
His absence from Peter’s first wedding meant that Catherine attended on her own. It was the first time she had met her then-boyfriend’s grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, and was seen as a sign that her own engagement would be announced soon. In the end, she had to wait another three years for William to propose. He did so at Lewa Downs, the wildlife conservancy in Kenya where Batian’s wedding was held. It was run by Jecca and Batian’s parents, Ian and Jane, in the foothills of Mount Kenya.
Peter’s First Wedding Sparked Royal Controversy
Catherine’s attendance at Peter’s first wedding led to her appearing in the pages of Hello! because he had sold exclusive photographic rights to the glossy magazine for a reported £500,000. This decision caused controversy at the time, as it marked the first time a royal wedding was commercialised. Courtiers believed the pages of the ‘celebrity bible’ should be reserved for WAGs and soap stars.
The coverage spread over 59 pages featured what the magazine described as ‘fabulous pictures of the young Royals at the fun-filled celebrations’. Catherine was pictured laughing, similarly uproariously, with Prince Harry’s then girlfriend Chelsy Davy, as he made some joke. They were also pictured letting their hair down on the dance floor.
This Saturday, William can party safe in the knowledge that Hello! won’t be sold any exclusive photos – as far as we know!
