The royal family was out in force over the weekend for the royal wedding of Peter Phillips, the son of Princess Anne, and Harriet Sperling. Senior working royals were in attendance, of course, including the mother of the groom, Prince William and Kate Middleton, and King Charles and Queen Camilla themselves, but also more extended branches of the royal family like the children and grandchildren of Princess Margaret.
However one notable attendee claimed a different family connection to the groom, and made a far rarer public appearance to celebrate his big day. Peter’s younger half sister, Stephanie Phillips, was among the guests, alongside her husband, William Hosier.
For the celebration, Stephanie wore a red and white print prairie dress, with a bright red fascinator, and red wedge espadrilles.
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While Stephanie keeps a lower profile than her royal half siblings, Peter and his sister Zara Tindall, the trio share a father, Captain Mark Phillips. Phillips married Princess Anne in 1973, and together they had Peter and Zara before ultimately divorcing in 1992. Five years later, Phillips welcomed Stephanie with his second wife, American equestrian Sandy Pflueger.
Over the years, Stephanie has apparently remained close with her older half siblings, having appeared as a bridesmaid both in Peter’s first wedding to Autumn Kelly in 2008 and in Zara’s wedding to Mike Tindall. In turn, their daughters, Savannah Phillips, Isla Phillips, Mia Tindall, and Lena Tindall, all served as bridesmaids at Stephanie’s own 2022 nuptials.
Unlike Stephanie, the trio’s other half sister, Felicity Tonkin, was not in attendance, though that was hardly a surprise. Tonkin was born through an extramarital affair Mark had during his marriage to Princess Anne and was only confirmed to be his daughter via DNA test in the early ‘90s. According to reports, she’s never met any of Phillips’s other children, and so was not expected to appear at Peter’s wedding.
Lauren Hubbard is a freelance writer and Town & Country contributor who covers beauty, shopping, entertainment, travel, home decor, wine, and cocktails.