I’m hesitant to give Peter Phillips “credit” for anything, but I actually enjoy the fact that he’s dated age-appropriate women following his divorce from Autumn. Peter is 47 years old, and post-divorce, he dated Lindsay Wallace, a married woman in her 40s, for about three years. Two seconds after Peter and Lindsay split, he started up with Harriet Sperling, who is currently 45 years old. They immediately began making public appearances together and Harriet, like Lindsay Wallace before her, got “royal approval” from the wider Windsor clan. Anyway, I just appreciate the fact that Peter dates women his age and he’s not rocking up to Ascot with a 23-year-old socialite. In fact, Harriet’s got a great backstory: a 45-year-old single mother who works as a nurse, AND she has an aristocratic background. We know all of this because the British press is treating Harriet like the newest member of the royal family. From the Mail:

Among the top hats and finery of Royal Ascot this week, the absence of a certain elegantly attired princess was keenly felt. But where one willowy, sophisticated guest was missing, another stepped forward with panache. For while the Princess of Wales might have been notable by her absence, Harriet Sperling joined boyfriend Peter Phillips for no fewer than two appearances at the Berkshire racecourse. The first, and by far the most significant, was on Tuesday when she made her debut with senior Royals – including King Charles and Queen Camilla – in the traditional carriage procession to mark the start of Ascot.

Blonde hair tumbling in bouncy waves, the 45-year-old looked as if she’d been parading around in carriages for a lifetime as she smiled serenely under the blazing sun. In fact, she is a paediatric intensive care nurse and probably more accustomed to scrubs than negotiating carriages – or paddocks – in towering heels.

There was also a decidedly royal flavour – and budget – to her ensemble. The heels were by Emmy London, a brand worn by the Princess of Wales, and the £395 clutch was from the same brand; the hat was a £945 number by Awon Golding Millinery, a brand once sported by Meghan Markle. As for the balloon-sleeved jacket and midi skirt, these were by designer Suzannah London, a label favoured by Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh and – again – by Catherine, Princess of Wales. At £3,720, her outfit was certainly something of a stretch on the average nurse’s salary. But then, an invitation to join the royal procession, is a prestigious ticket.

The late Queen Elizabeth didn’t include girlfriends in the procession unless they were engaged, so Harriet’s presence has been viewed as something of an endorsement by the King. No wonder, then, that all eyes were on Harriet when she returned to Ascot on Thursday. Gracefully attired in buttercup yellow, she dropped a well-rehearsed curtsey to the monarch and appeared at ease with both protocol and her 47-year-old beau’s relatives.

[From The Daily Mail]

This piece was written by Becky English, and the second half of the article reveals that English went to Harriet’s mother’s home and the mother let English into the house and gave the Mail some quotes. Tacky, but that’s how these people play the game. Anyway, I kind of hate that we’re treating a 45-year-old nurse as some kind of willowy young princess-to-be, but that speaks to how the British press is starved for attractive royal or royal-adjacent women to follow. Anyway, Harriet seems like a lovely person and Peter seems really into her and really proud to be with her. It’s a nice story already, there’s no reason to go overboard with all of this sh-t.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Cover Images.