Andrew ThompsonPeter Phillips, the eldest grandson of the late Queen Elizabeth II and nephew of King Charles III, is set to marry Harriet Sperling on 6 June 2026 at All Saints Church in Kemble, Gloucestershire. The private ceremony brings together two people with children from previous relationships — and, in doing so, it raises legal questions that many Australian families face every single year.
Harriet is a Paediatric Nurse Specialist at Evelina London Children's Hospital. Peter and his ex-wife Autumn Kelly share two daughters, Savannah and Isla. Harriet has a teenage daughter, Georgia, from a prior relationship. Three children. Two former relationships. One new family unit. The legal complexity is real — and Australians navigating similar situations deserve to understand what protections the law can offer them.
Peter Needed Special Permission to Marry — What Australian Law Requires
Reports confirmed that Peter Phillips sought special consent before the engagement could proceed, as a matter of royal convention rather than strict legal requirement. Under the Succession to the Crown Act 2013 (UK), only the first six individuals in the line of succession must formally obtain the sovereign's approval. Peter sits outside that threshold, but tradition prompted the consultation regardless.
Australia has its own marriage prerequisites. Under the Marriage Act 1961 (Cth), anyone previously married must provide evidence that the earlier marriage ended legally — through divorce, annulment, or the death of the former spouse — before remarrying. Failure to do so is bigamy, which carries a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment under federal law. With divorce rates holding steady in Australia, remarriage is common, but the documentary requirements are often underestimated.
Both Peter and Harriet were previously in long-term relationships. Before any wedding ceremony, a family lawyer can confirm that all prior dissolution orders are in proper form and that no documentation gaps will arise.
Binding Financial Agreements: Australia's Version of a Prenup
One of the most important steps any remarrying couple can take — particularly where children from prior unions are involved — is a Binding Financial Agreement, or BFA. This is Australia's legal equivalent of a prenuptial agreement, available under Parts VIIIA and VIIIAB of the Family Law Act 1975 (Cth).
A BFA can be made before a marriage (pre-nuptial), during a marriage, or after separation. It allows both parties to agree in advance how assets, liabilities, superannuation, and maintenance will be handled if the relationship ends.
For blended families, a BFA serves a critical protective function: it can ring-fence assets held for or by children from a previous relationship. Without such an agreement, those assets may be subject to property division claims in a future family law proceeding.
For a BFA to be legally binding in Australia, each party must receive independent legal advice from a separate lawyer before signing. The lawyer must provide a signed statement confirming that advice was given. If this requirement is not met, a court can set the entire agreement aside — leaving both parties exposed.
As noted in our coverage of Zendaya and Tom Holland's Wedding: What Australian Couples Should Know About Asset Protection, high-profile weddings often prompt Australians to consider these arrangements for the first time. That instinct is well-founded.
Step-Parent Rights: What Australian Law Actually Says
When Harriet marries Peter, she becomes a step-parent to Savannah and Isla. Peter takes on a step-parent role for Georgia. Many Australians assume that marriage automatically confers parental rights. It does not.
Under the Family Law Act, parental responsibility belongs to biological parents unless a court order or formal parenting plan transfers it. A step-parent has no automatic right to make decisions about a stepchild's schooling, healthcare, or travel.
If a step-parent wishes to formalise their relationship with a stepchild, they have two main options:
- Adoption: A lengthy legal process requiring biological parent consent in most cases, along with assessment by child welfare authorities.
- Parenting orders: A family court can grant a step-parent shared parental responsibility, which can be achieved by consent or after a hearing.
For day-to-day purposes, many blended families operate under informal arrangements. But when disputes arise — particularly after separation — the absence of formalised orders can leave step-parents with no legal standing to maintain a relationship with children they have raised.
Superannuation: The Asset Most Couples Forget to Update
When Australians remarry, they typically update their wills. Fewer remember to update their superannuation beneficiary nominations — yet super can represent the largest single asset in an Australian household.
Superannuation does not automatically form part of a deceased estate. It is distributed separately, under the trust rules of each super fund. A binding death benefit nomination directs who receives your super upon death. If that nomination still names a former spouse, the consequences can be severe and are often irreversible.
Upon remarriage, an existing will in Australia is not revoked. However, an existing will made before a divorce may nonetheless contain provisions that no longer reflect current intentions. Estate planning lawyers recommend a full review of wills, testamentary trusts, powers of attorney, and super nominations before the wedding date.
3 Legal Steps for Blended Australian Families
1. Draft a Binding Financial Agreement. Before the wedding, both partners should engage their own independent family lawyers to negotiate and execute a BFA. This protects existing assets — including assets held in trust for children — and provides certainty about financial arrangements if the marriage ends.
2. Review and update estate planning documents. Update your will, your enduring power of attorney, and your superannuation beneficiary nominations to reflect the new family structure. Ensure that children from prior relationships are provided for explicitly.
3. Formalise parenting arrangements. Where children from a prior relationship will live with or regularly spend time with a new partner, consider negotiating a parenting plan or applying for consent orders. This gives step-parents defined rights and reduces ambiguity.
Peter Phillips and Harriet Sperling's June 2026 wedding is a reminder that blending families — royally or otherwise — requires more than love and good intentions. In Australia, a family lawyer's advice before the wedding is almost always cheaper than a court dispute after. Consult an expert who can review your specific situation and help you enter this next chapter with clarity.
