Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie are poised to step back into the royal spotlight this summer as they prepare to attend one of the biggest family gatherings since the fallout surrounding their parents engulfed the monarchy.
The sisters are expected to join senior royals at the wedding of their cousin Peter Phillips and fiancée Harriet Sperling next month – in what will mark their first major public appearance in months.
The daughters of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson are said to have been invited to the ceremony at All Saints’ Church in Kemble, Gloucestershire, on June 6.
The event is expected to draw almost the entire senior Royal Family, including King Charles and Queen Camilla, alongside Prince William, Catherine the Princess of Wales, Princess Anne, Prince Edward and Sophie the Duchess of Edinburgh.
But notably absent is expected to be Andrew himself, amid continuing efforts by the monarchy to distance itself from the scandal surrounding his links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Reports in recent weeks have suggested it is considered ‘unlikely’ Andrew will attend the private Gloucestershire ceremony because of ongoing reputational concerns.
The appearance would mark a significant moment for Beatrice and Eugenie, who have kept a notably lower profile following renewed scrutiny surrounding their parents earlier this year.
According to reports, the sisters have not visited their father at Sandringham since his arrest in February, despite Eugenie expecting her third child.
Peter Phillips, 48, and Harriet Sperling, 45, announced their engagement last August after first being linked in 2024
Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, pictured in 2024, are expected to join senior royals at the wedding
A source told The Sun: ‘The Royal Family needs good news and nothing unites like a big church wedding.
‘Beatrice is going and Eugenie is in the second trimester of her pregnancy but hopes to attend.
‘The King always wanted both to remain part of the family. He made it clear they are welcome at family events.’
Peter, 48, and Harriet, 45, announced their engagement last August after first being linked in 2024.
In a statement at the time, the couple said both families were ‘delighted’ by the news.
The wedding is expected to be a major royal occasion despite being described by insiders as relatively intimate.
For Peter, the ceremony marks a fresh start following the collapse of his marriage to Canadian-born Autumn Kelly.
The pair married in a lavish ceremony at St George’s Chapel in Windsor in 2008 before separating in 2019. Their divorce was finalised two years later.
Peter and Autumn share two daughters, Savannah, 15, and Isla, 13.
Harriet, who has a daughter from her previous marriage, has become an increasingly familiar face within royal circles over the past year.
Last summer she joined members of the Royal Family at Royal Ascot and was seen laughing alongside the King after taking part in the official carriage procession – a move widely viewed as a sign she had been warmly embraced by the Firm.
The daughters of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson have been invited to the ceremony at All Saints’ Church in Kemble, Gloucestershire, on June 6
She and Peter also appeared together at this year’s Cheltenham Festival alongside Zara Tindall and Mike Tindall.
Harriet’s engagement ring is said to contain a subtle tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth, having reportedly been designed by the same jeweller responsible for the Queen’s famous 1946 engagement ring.
Royal biographer Richard Fitzwilliams has suggested the upcoming wedding will feel very different from Peter’s first marriage, which reportedly left some members of the Royal Family ‘bewildered’.
Harriet has also spoken openly in the past about the role faith played in her life, particularly during the challenges of single motherhood.
She previously said: ‘faith was always in me, but it was kind of dormant’.
She added: ‘Somehow it didn’t seem relevant to my life in London. But the end of a seven-year relationship was the turning point for me. I went to church as I felt there was something missing.’
Writing for Christian magazine Woman Alive last year, Harriet also reflected on raising a child alone while relying on her faith for support.
According to her professional biography, she works as a paediatric nurse specialist for the NHS and is described as being ‘passionate about early brain development in babies and seeing children thrive’.
In 2010, she was part of the specialist medical team credited with helping save the life of a critically ill baby suffering from a deadly virus at just three weeks old.
