When duty calls, the Royal Family will answer and it’s possible that the Duchess of Edinburgh’s dedication to her work could see her miss out on a special, private occasion. Duchess Sophie’s nephew Peter Phillips will marry Harriet Sperling in Gloucestershire on 6th June and plenty of royals are expected to be there.
Usually, I’d predict Sophie would be one of them, but the wedding date clashes with the 2026 Royal Windsor Flower Show and the unveiling of a personal project. Sophie has co-designed the Plants with Purpose Garden which will be at the heart of the show, giving an understanding of how food is grown and showing the importance of healthy soil.
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The King’s sister-in-law has already spoken with the RWFS Honorary President, Alan Titchmarsh, about the garden in an interview shared with The Telegraph. She also said that this particular show is special to her as she’s been going since she was a child.
“The first time I went, I walked through the York Club onto the lawn, and I just went: ‘Home’,” she reflected. “This is my childhood. We’re lucky to have these wonderful little shows in villages and towns around our country.”
Given all this and her hard work in co-designing the Plants with Purpose Garden it would surprise me if Duchess Sophie didn’t attend the Royal Windsor Flower Show. According to the Royal Diary, she’s definitely going to be at the official opening of the garden the day before.
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It could perhaps suggest that this arrangement has been made to allow her to be free on 6th June. However, it doesn’t necessarily mean that a visit to the full show isn’t on the cards too as it’s important to see how members of the public react and engage with Plants with Purpose.
If the Duchess makes an appearance on the day it could mean she’s either not able to make it to Peter and Harriet’s wedding, or at least not all of it. Traveling between her Surrey home and Berkshire and Gloucestershire is possible, if not ideal.
At least this way Duchess Sophie could be part of the family occasion even if not for the whole day, and we already know the royals are used to making it to different engagements in a very short space of time.
(Image credit: Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
The King and Queen have also just been confirmed as attending Derby Day at Epsom Downs on 6th June so it seems like they could potentially miss part of Peter’s big day. They’re patrons of the Jockey Club and, as Epsom’s General Manager Jim Allen put it, “Royal attendance has been synonymous with the meeting for generations.”
Peter Phillips isn’t a working royal himself but as the son of one of the hardest working royals around – Princess Anne – he’ll be well aware that personal moments have to be balanced with duties. If his uncle and aunts do make it to some of his wedding he’ll likely be thrilled and the event is already quite low-key.
It’s a second marriage for both Peter and Harriet and they’ll say “I do” in a “private ceremony” at All Saints Church in Cirencester. The reception will reportedly be held at Princess Anne’s Gatcombe Park home – the estate where Peter lives too.
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Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh