Princess Eugenie joyfully embraced Zara Tindall‘s daughter Mia as she and Princess Beatrice arrived at Peter Phillips and Harriet Sperling’s ‘intimate wedding’ in the Cotswolds.
The daughters of disgraced ex-duke, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, were all smiles at the ceremony despite an ‘outrageous’ report revealing this week they have been secretly subsidised for years by their grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, and now by their uncle, King Charles.
The sisters have never personally paid a penny in rent, despite living in exclusive properties at Kensington Palace and St James’s Palace for nearly two decades.
Princess Eugenie, who was wearing an all-navy outfit with a matching hat, threw her arm around Mia outside All Saints Church in Gloucestershire where Peter and Harriet’s nuptials took place.
The 12-year-old daughter of Zara and Mike Tindall was Eugenie’s bridesmaid when she tied the knot with her husband Jack Brooksbank in 2018.
Princess Beatrice, who donned a green and white dress printed dress and an Alice band, was also in attendance with her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi.
Earlier, she received a kiss on the cheek from Prince William who was at the ceremony alongside his wife Catherine, Princess of Wales.
However, despite the two sisters appearing to be firmly back in the fold at the wedding, their father Mr Mountbatten-Windsor was reportedly not invited amid the fallout over his friendship with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
During the ceremony, NHS nurse Harriet was walked down the aisle by her brother Nicholas in honour of their late father Mr Rupert Sanders.
Princess Eugenie joyfully embraced Zara Tindall’s daughter Mia as she and Princess Beatrice arrived at Peter Phillips and Harriet Sperling’s ‘intimate wedding’ in the Cotswolds
Prince William kisses his cousin Princess Beatrice on the cheek at All Saints Church in Kemble
Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice arrived with smiles at Peter Phillips’ wedding today despite an ‘outrageous’ National Audit Office report into their family finances
The 12-year-old daughter of Zara and Mike Tindall was Eugenie’s bridesmaid when she tied the knot with her husband Jack Brooksbank in 2018
Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie arrive with their husbands at the wedding of Peter Phillips and Harriet Sperling at All Saints Church in Kemble today
Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and Princess Beatrice of York arrive for the Royal wedding. Beatrice can be seen wearing a green dress adorned with leaves coupled with a cream handbag and Alice band
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.
However, one member of the Royal Family noticeably absent from the celebrations was the groom’s cousin, Prince Harry.
The Montecito-based Duke of Sussex, 41, is said to have ‘not spoken in years’ to Peter, and sources say the presence of his estranged brother, Prince William, at the event will also inevitably have played a part.
This week, the cosy deals from which both Beatrice and Eugenie benefited from in relation to their residences were laid bare by a National Audit Office report.
It revealed the two princesses, who perform no royal duties, have been secretly subsidised for years, not only by their grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, but now by their uncle King Charles III.
Sources said the arrangement for Beatrice and Eugenie was put in place during the late monarch’s reign, who was very fond of her granddaughters, and the King had agreed to honour it.
From 2008, both of the York sisters lived at St James’s Palace until Eugenie moved to Ivy Cottage on the grounds of Kensington Palace in 2018.
She said I do! Harriet showcased her glittering array of rings when in the couple’s wedding car
Zara exchanged greetings with Princess Beatrice’s husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, before heading into the church
Sealed with a kiss! Peter Phillips and Harriet Sperling tied the knot in front of the King and Queen and other members of the Royal Family during an ‘intimate’ ceremony in the Cotswolds today
Princess Eugenie places her hand on the shoulder of Mia Tindall, who is wearing a floral blue and white dress
Princess Anne’s son, 48, and his NHS nurse bride, 45, who looked resplendent in a white Emilia Wickstead gown and the Pragnell family tiara, were the picture of wedded bliss outside All Saints Church
Eugenie, 38, now divides her time between her £3.6million Portuguese home and London, boasting a star-studded list of neighbours, including fashion designer Christian Louboutin as well as F1 racing drivers.
Meanwhile, her sister Beatrice, 37, stayed at her apartment, which she shares with her high-flying property developer husband Edo Mapelli Mozzi and their family, whilst 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.
However, the homes are situated in occupied royal palaces, which are maintained by public funding via the Sovereign Grant, which was effectively reimbursed by the monarch on their behalf.
And for a number of years, their adjusted rents – reduced because the Royal Household properties require tenants with security clearance – were based on out-of-date open market valuations, as were others.
Some of the properties were dramatically under market value, with the report finding that not even a self-imposed 60 per cent rule was always followed.
However, they were not the only royals to face scrutiny, with other revelations, such as their father being allowed to let three properties on his leased Windsor Estate to staff for a potential profit, being lambasted as ‘outrageous’.
Shamed Andrew may also be entitled to more than £300,000 in ‘compensation’ from the Crown Estate after he was booted out of the Royal Lodge after paying ‘peppercorn’ rent for over two decades before the end of his 75-year lease.
The 66-year-old was kicked out of the Grade-II listed mansion by his monarch brother after being stripped of his Prince title over his friendship with paedophile financier, Jeffrey Epstein, which emerged. Andrew has denied any wrongdoing.
But his daughters were not the only royals to benefit from subsidised rent, as Prince and Princess Michael of Kent have long enjoyed a sovereign-subsidised arrangement at a luxurious apartment in Kensington Palace.
The NAO report, which was sparked amid revelations that Andrew was paying ‘peppercorn rent’ at the Royal Lodge, is factual but does not seek to examine value for money.
However, a number of questions are likely to be raised over its contents by MPs in the next few months.
