All weekend, Hello Magazine teased their big new exclusive “from the Cotswolds.” Many wondered if the Duchess of Sussex had posed for photos and given an interview. LOL, no. Turns out, the big exclusive is with Harriet Sperling, who is now Harriet Phillips after she married Peter Phillips earlier this year. Harriet posed for lots of photos and she gave a really extensive interview. Someone gave her talking points about the Windsors and she stayed on-message like a true pro. There’s some breaking news in here too – Harriet quit her job as a nurse and she’s taken on some kind of patronage. Careful, Harriet. The Windsors believe that they’re the only ones who can do charity work. If you’re wondering about how Harriet and Peter support themselves… I would imagine Harriet probably got low-to-mid six figures for this interview and photoshoot. And they live rent-free on Princess Anne’s Gatcombe Park estate.

She moved out of London & quit her nurse job: After a decade spent working in London, Harriet moved back to her home county of Gloucestershire, where she moved away from hospitals and began working in the community with babies, young children and their families in a variety of settings. Now, she has taken up a new job for a private foundation, where she will continue to specialise in infant mental health. HELLO! can exclusively reveal that Harriet has also taken up her first patronage, as patron of Home-Start Cotswolds.

Her new job with Home-Start: “Becoming a parent can be one of the most wonderful experiences in life, but it can also feel overwhelming and isolating. We often assume that parenting comes naturally, but the reality is that everyone needs support at different points. Home-Start offers vital, practical and non-judgmental support. Just having someone to listen to can make an enormous difference, especially given how closely a parent’s wellbeing is connected to a baby’s wellbeing. Having worked with Home-Start as a specialist nurse in Gloucestershire, I had seen its impact first-hand and referred families to it. Home-Start approached me to ask if I would consider the role, and it felt like a completely natural fit. If I can do anything to shine a light on something positive for families and children, I’m thrilled to do it.”

Leaving the NHS: “It’s been an enormous privilege to spend 24 years working in the NHS, and I’ve loved my career. It has taught me so much, professionally and personally. Over time, I’ve become increasingly passionate about the importance of promoting healthy brain development. If we can support parents during this critical early period, we have an opportunity to make a lasting difference for children. Moving on feels like a natural step, rather than a complete change of direction – it’s a chance to take everything I’ve learnt and use it in a new way.”

How she met Peter: “I always told myself that I would much rather meet someone naturally, and that’s exactly what happened. We knew of each other through our children and through mutual friends. We met properly in early 2022, when our three daughters were on the same hockey team. We met watching our children play hockey, chatting casually in a very ordinary way… My father had died just before I met Peter. I often think maybe that’s why Peter came along.”

First dates: “Our first dates were very ordinary and private. We went on dog walks and had dinner in a pub where no one would recognise us; mostly, we cooked together at home. He’s a great cook and I love cooking. He’s great at barbecues. It was wholesome and suited to who we both are as people.

On meeting Prince William & Kate: “I’ve had an incredible experience being welcomed in. We happened to be on holiday in the same place in the Scilly Isles. It was great because the children were all jumping into the water at the same time. It was very casual but there is a clear level of respect there.” She also spoke about her bond with the down-to-earth Princess. “I can look to Catherine for advice and guidance. She’s very open-hearted, and I would always feel comfortable asking her if I needed advice about something.”

[From Hello Magazine]

One of the most remarkable things about Harriet’s journey in the past few years is that the British media barely mentioned her ex-husband or how crazy it was that a divorcee was marrying someone in the royal family. Qwhite weird, really, especially when you consider the unhinged commentary over Prince Harry marrying a divorced woman. Turns out that divorced people are actually fine with everyone in the royal family (many of whom are divorced as well), and they just used the issue to bash you-know-who. Anyway, Harriet sounds fine, I’ve never had a problem with her, I’ve just been fascinated by how the media treats her. I know that there will barely be any commentary about “how dare Harriet pose for Hello Magazine and give an interview about the royals” as well.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images. Cover courtesy of Hello.