All eyes were on Peter Phillips and his girlfriend, Harriet Sperling, as the couple made multiple appearances at Royal Ascot events this week.
After making her debut at the prestigious event last year, Harriet returned alongside senior royals in the traditional carriage procession to open Ascot for the main event.
But while their relationship brings her into the royal spotlight, Harriet, an NHS Paediatric Nurse Specialist, is also a single mother, expertly balancing the demands of raising her daughter with her dedicated career and new engagements alongside the Royal Family.
Developing her faith
Harriet is the third of four children, and is daughter to her mother, Mary, and late father, Rupert Sanders. Rupert was a prominent solicitor, and her paternal grandfather, Geoffrey Sanders, was a D-Day veteran, High Sheriff of Gloucestershire and editor of the Stroud News and Journal.
Harriet was raised in Gloucestershire, attending Cheltenham's Dean Close School, a Christian boarding and day school, before later going on to train as a nurse in London.
After admitting to being a bit of a "party girl", Harriet explained: "My faith was always in me, but it was kind of dormant.
"But the end of a seven-year relationship was the turning point for me. I went to church as I felt there was something missing in my life."
A journey of resilience
Harriet's journey as a single mother to her daughter, Georgina, born in 2012, has been a defining aspect of her life.
Writing for the Christian magazine Woman Alive last year, she shared: "In the earlier years of my journey as a single mother to my daughter, resources were scarce, and the future was uncertain. Yet, in the absence of material security, I discovered the strength and life that comes from true selfless love. A love that is able to be solely devoted to your child."
Having dated Peter Phillips since 2024, it's clear Harriet's journey to this point has involved significant personal growth.
"My daughter and I journeyed ten years with only each other. I liken us to an island and it has often felt hard to imagine anyone joining that island.
"But of course beauty comes from relationships, relationships with our maker and relationships with each other."
She added, "It is often tough parenting alone, but although there is a stigma to endure, God is able to step in and turn it for good."
New beginnings
Harriet's daughter, Georgina, is around the same age as Peter's younger daughter, Isla (13), and a year younger than his eldest, Savannah (14), from his previous 12-year marriage to Autumn Kelly. All three girls have been seen together at various events over the past year.
Peter and Harriet reportedly met at a sports event involving their respective daughters, and have since made several public appearances together, including Wimbledon, a charity polo match, Burghley Horse Trials and even the Bahrain Grand Prix alongside Peter's cousins, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie.
Harriet's uncle, Henry Sperling, expressed his delight at the couple's burgeoning relationship, saying, "She looks as though she will fit in very well [with the Royal Family]. Harriet is a very elegant lady. I'm delighted that she has a thoroughly decent person in her life and I hope they are both happy."