Peter Phillips and Harriet Sperling’s wedding marked a pivotal moment as King Charles aimed to reconnect Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie with the royal family after a period fraught with controversy.
Following a critical National Audit report revealing the sisters had not paid rent, Beatrice, 37, and Eugenie, 36, made their appearance at the wedding. Prince William also took steps to ensure their comfort during the event.
An expert on royal matters suggested that William, 43, was eager to reinforce the connection with Beatrice when they met outside All Saints Church in Gloucestershire, though Mike Tindall seemed the most thrilled to see the sisters.
Known for his warmth, Mike Tindall, Zara Tindall’s husband, noticed Beatrice and Eugenie’s apprehension and quickly approached them with welcoming smiles and embraces to alleviate their tension.
The former England rugby player was the first to extend a warm greeting to Beatrice, her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, Eugenie, and her husband Jack Brooksbank as they arrived at the historic 11th-century church in Kemble on Saturday.
Footage showed Mike, 47, warmly planting a kiss on Beatrice’s cheek before sharing a heartfelt embrace with Edo, as X users said ‘Mike is a hugger’.
In another sweet moment, Jack’s handshake with Mike also turned into a bear hug before Zara’s husband greeted a smiling Eugenie, who is pregnant with her third child.
It appears that Eugenie is especially close to Zara, Mike, and their three children, as the younger York princess could be seen joyfully hugging the couple’s daughter Mia, 12, in a separate clip.
Princess Eugenie, who was wearing an all-navy outfit with a matching hat, threw her arms around Mia outside the church in Gloucestershire, with the royal wedding undoubtedly bringing back pleasant memories for the pair.
One of the royal family’s most affable members, the husband of Zara Tindall, rushed towards ‘noticeably tense’ Beatrice and Eugenie to put them at ease when the York princesses attended Peter Phillips and Harriet Sperling’s wedding
Days after a damning National Audit report found that they had never paid a penny in rent, Beatrice, 37, and Eugenie, 35, attended the royal nuptials in the Cotswolds
Mia was Eugenie’s bridesmaid when she tied the knot with British marketing executive Jack at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle eight years ago.
Eugenie and Beatrice attended the wedding of Princess Anne’s son Peter and his now-wife Harriet just hours after the release of an ‘outrageous’ National Audit report found they have lived rent-free at royal residences for years.
A body language expert claimed the daughters of disgraced former prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor were noticeably ‘tense’ after the rental revelations, but it appears Mike stepped up to calm any nerves.
Even Prince William tried to show ‘fondness’ towards Princess Beatrice as he kissed her on the cheek at their cousin’s wedding, Judi James told the Daily Mail.
The news that Beatrice and Eugenie, who perform no royal duties, have lived free of charge in exclusive palace properties came after the fallout from the Epstein scandal.
Before the wedding, the pair had already taken a step back from the spotlight following the downfall of their parents – Sarah Ferguson and the disgraced ex-Duke of York, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, over their friendship with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Yet despite recent controversies, Prince William appeared eager to maintain the bond with his cousins as he affectionately leaned in to kiss Beatrice at the wedding in Kemble yesterday.
According to body language expert Judi James, the kiss was ‘symbolic’ of William’s wish to present a closeness to Beatrice.
‘His body language suggests a desire to display bonds and even fondness,’ Ms James said.
‘He performs what is called an “act of inconvenience” here to create this cheek kiss, bending and stooping low with his back hunched to get to the right height. William stretches his neck to plant a kiss on Beatrice’s cheek.
‘This kiss was symbolic and meaningful in royal terms.’
According to Ms James, the kiss was the antithesis to William’s treatment of his uncle, Andrew, whom he ignored at their last public appearance together.
William’s warmth was somewhat unreciprocated, Ms James added.
‘Beatrice’s response looks tepid here though. She looks away, creating a distracted cheek kiss, and she puckers her lips in a tense mime ritual rather than smiling warmly during the greeting.’
Beatrice and Mike also shared a warm hug
The tension seen by Beatrice and Eugenie came hours after it emerged the sisters have been secretly subsidised for years by their grandmother Queen Elizabeth and now by their uncle King Charles.
Former Liberal Democrat minister Norman Baker, who has long been a critic of royal finances, said: ‘The Royal Family is yet again taking the public for a complete ride.’
The York sisters lived at St James’s Palace from 2008, before Eugenie moved to Ivy Cottage in the grounds of Kensington Palace in 2018. She now splits her time between London and a £3.6million Portuguese home.
Her neighbours are said to include F1 racing drivers and fashion designer Christian Louboutin.
Beatrice, 37, stayed on at the apartment, which she shares with her husband, property developer Edo Mapelli Mozzi, and their family, while also owning a multi-million pound home in the Cotswolds.
Both rents, the report reveals, are paid to the Royal Household entirely by Charles out of the Privy Purse, which is made up of his Duchy of Lancaster income and other private funds. No taxpayer money was involved.
A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: ‘We are grateful to the National Audit Office for this report, which is in line with The Royal Household’s commitment to transparency.
‘We hope that the findings will help correct, clarify or contextualise a number of points regarding royal properties.
‘As the report notes, arrangements for properties managed by the Royal Household vary based on a number of factors to ensure residences are filled appropriately, depending on their location, tenants and purpose.’
A spokesman for the Crown Estate said: ‘The Crown Estate welcomes the National Audit Office’s review, which confirms its leases with members of the Royal Family were agreed in line with independent, professional advice and open market valuations.’
Last weekend, NHS paediatric nurse Harriet said ‘I do’ to Peter Phillips in an ‘intimate wedding’ in the Cotswolds.
During the ceremony, NHS nurse Harriet was walked down the aisle by her brother Nicholas in honour of their late father, Mr Rupert Sanders.
She teamed her stunning wedding dress, featuring a square neckline and lace detailing, with Jimmy Choo shoes and Pragnell earrings.
Her hair was kept in an elegant bun to best showcase the shimmering tiara she wore.
The service was led by the Reverend Dr Steve Bullock of All Saints Parish Church, with the marriage blessing and address by the Reverend Nicky Gumbel.
Guests included the bride and grooms parents and siblings, such as Peter’s half-sister Stephanie Hosier with her husband William, and Peter and Stephanie’s father Captain Mark Phillips, the ex husband of Princess Anne.
