The essence
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Peter Phillips and Harriet Spurling are set to marry at the royal wedding this summer on June 6.
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Sperling's engagement ring not only contains a touching reference to Queen Elizabeth, but also echoes the first engagement ring of Phillips' mother, Princess Anne.
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As jeweler Nilesh Raholia explained InStyle publication , Princess Anne's engagement ring from Mark Phillips, whom she married in 1973, was "restrainedly radical".
With less than a week to go until this summer's royal wedding, Peter Phillips paid tribute not only to his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, but also to his mother, Princess Anne, when choosing an engagement ring for his bride-to-be, Harriet Spurling.
The remarkable piece of jewelry Phillips proposed with was a ring from Pragnell, the same jeweler who created Queen Elizabeth's engagement ring in 1946, given to her by her future husband, Prince Philip.
Peter Phillips and Harriet Spurling, pictured here wearing her engagement ring, January 1, 2026. Photo: Getty.
But Sperling's ring also bears a resemblance to Princess Anne's engagement ring, given to her by her first husband, Mark Phillips, in 1973. After having two children, the couple divorced, and Anne remarried in 1992 to Timothy Lawrence.
Anna's ring by Mark was one of the most unconventional engagement rings of its era, and Sperling's diamond trilogy engagement ring is strikingly similar in structure to Anna's sapphire and diamond engagement ring, according to jeweler Nilesh Racholia.
Princess Anne and Mark Phillips announce their engagement in 1973. Photo: Getty
«"Princess Anne's engagement ring by Captain Mark Phillips was discreetly radical for 1973," says InStyle Rakholiya, founder of Abelini. "While large diamond solitaire rings in ornate yellow gold were popular at the time, Anna chose something far more thoughtful—a sapphire trilogy ring from Garrard, which felt more personal than ostentatious. It was understated in the best sense of the word.".
Before Princess Diana's, and now Kate Middleton's, sapphire and diamond engagement ring became iconic, Anne's engagement ring featured a central blue sapphire flanked by diamonds.
«"The ring's durability stems from its lack of excess," explains Rakholia. "The proportions are perfectly balanced, the trilogy creates its inherent elegance, and the sapphire adds color in a way that feels more intentional than decorative. It doesn't seek attention, and that's precisely why it remains so.".
Mark Phillips and Princess Anne on their wedding day, November 14, 1973. Photo: Getty
Raholia adds that Princess Anne's ring "laid the foundation for what we now consider the royal tradition of wearing sapphires." Raholia estimates that Anne's ring is currently worth approximately $33,000 to $40,000, but "its true value lies in what it represented—one of the first modern royal remnants of the diamond solitaire," Raholia says. He adds, "This distinction is becoming increasingly rare and increasingly valuable.".
Peter's decision to give Sperling a ring in a trilogy format "has an enduring emotional logic," says Raholia. "Past, present, future. It's a design that carries meaning without needing an overt statement.".
Harriet Spurling and Peter Phillips on July 12, 2024. Photo: Getty
«"The fact that Peter instinctively returned to the same architecture seems more than just a coincidence," Raholia continues. "It speaks to how deeply a piece of jewelry can fit into a family's visual language." Sperling's ring is valued at over $10,000.
Peter and Sperling announced their engagement in August 2025, after first being spotted together in May 2024. The wedding will take place on June 6 in a private ceremony in Gloucestershire, with many members of the royal family expected to attend. This is the second marriage for both the bride and groom, and they have three teenage daughters: two from Peter's marriage to Autumn Kelly and one from Sperling's marriage to Antonio St. John Sperling.
Peter Phillips and Harriet Spurling on July 11, 2025. Photo: Getty
As reported by Hello!, The newlyweds' wedding reception will take place on Saturday at Gatcombe Park, Princess Anne's longtime residence. A friend of the couple told the publication, "Peter and Harriet's wedding will be an intimate affair, surrounded by close friends and family, in the Cotswolds. It's where they grew up, and it's very dear to them both.".
Read the original article on InStyle.