In the last decade or so, the Cotswolds has had a starry makeover. Where there were once tea rooms and traditional boozers, there are now speciality coffee shops and gastro pubs.
The landscape I grew up in used to be all rolling hills and lavender fields, and now it’s dotted with private members’ clubs and high-end hotels – but one corner of the Cotswolds remains untouched – and that’s exactly where Princess Anne’s son Pete Phillips and his soon-to-be wife, Harriet Sperling, have decided to tie the knot.
The nephew of King Charles and his NHS nurse bride are set to hold their wedding ceremony at All Saints Church in Kemble, a sleepy village 17 minutes from Gatcombe Park, where Peter lives alongside his mother, Princess Anne, and his sister, Zara Tindall and her family.
Kemble is also just 14 minutes from King Charles’ countryside pad, Highgrove, in Tetbury – but I don’t think it’s the proximity to his royal relatives that made Peter Phillips opt for the secluded village for his wedding ceremony. Nor do I think it’s the fact that there’s a train station (I can’t see Princess Kate and Prince William hopping on Great Western Railway to get there, despite the speedy connection to the capital).
No, I think they picked Kemble as the pretty village, built from golden Cotswolds stone, reflects the low-key, humble nature of that arm of the royal family – the branch which did away with titles, rather than being named Prince Peter and Princess Zara.
Kemble has all the Cotswold charm and character, with none of the crowds or airs and graces other equally pretty villages have.
Choosing the discreet location also speaks of a couple who truly spend time in the area. Peter and Harriet aren’t ‘weekenders’ – the dreaded selection of residents who decamp to their Cotswolds abodes on Friday, before locking them up on Sunday night for a week. Harriet and her future husband truly know the area, opting for a local location for their big day, rather than plumping for a venue steeped in pomp and circumstance.
Indeed, a friend of the couple exclusively told HELLO!: “Peter and Harriet’s wedding is an intimate occasion with their close friends and immediate family around them in the Cotswolds. It’s an area where they grew up and is very special to them both.”
Harriet grew up in the nearby village of South Cerney, in a £1.5m, six-bedroom Edwardian home – interestingly, South Cerney has two churches – All Hallows and South Cerney United Church, a methodist church – but the couple clearly preferred Kemble’s church.
So, what is there to do in Kemble for the swathes of royals decamping to the village in early June? Read on to find out…
The church
The first weekend in June is set to see attendees, including Peter’s family – his divorced parents, Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips, his stepfather Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, his sister Zara Tindall, and her husband Mike Tindall – descend on Kemble’s All Saints Church.
Peter is close to the Prince and Princess of Wales, and the Edinburgh family will also likely be attending, along with Harriet’s family and the couple’s friends. The church is intimate, with space for 80 guests on the pews, with extra seating available – though we can’t picture Princess Kate or Queen Camilla perched upon emergency seating!
The pub(s)
Kemble is home to one pub, situated next to the station. The Tavern Inn is popular with locals as well as commuters. Fans call the lowkey spot a “gem”, praising the pub’s warm welcomes and delicious fish and chips, but I have to admit that in my 36 years, I’ve never visited! I can’t imagine Peter and his groomsmen popping in for a pint on the morning of the wedding, but you never know.
Somewhere I have frequented nearby is the newly renovated Wild Duck at Ewen, five minutes from Kemble. Owned by the same people who look after Cotswolds hot spot The Double Red Duke in Clanfield, The Wild Duck recently reopened after about six years of closure.
The overhaul has kept the unique charm of the old pub, but with 19 individually designed, boutique-style bedrooms – and I bet a few of the wedding guests will be staying there. I recently called in for Sunday lunch, and wholeheartedly recommend the striploin of beef.
They also have two spa treatment rooms for pre or post-wedding pampering, and with cosy corners and secluded lounges, The Wild Duck is the ideal place to while away a wedding hangover…
Another must-visit is The Tunnel House Inn in Coates, seven minutes from Kemble. Just like The Wild Duck, it’s been closed for several years, with a “spring 2026” reopening date promised… fingers crossed it’ll be ready ahead of the wedding.
The pub is truly remote, and a famed hangout for agricultural college students from Cirencester, so I imagine both Harriet and Peter spent a fair few evenings there in their youth.
The walk
Speaking of nursing a hangover, nothing blows the cobwebs away quite like a brisk walk, and Kemble boasts dozens of picturesque strolls. My personal favourite is trekking across the fields to the official source of the Thames, which is about three minutes outside of Kemble.
Three fields deep, you’ll find the source of the UK’s most famous river, bubbling up among trees, with a natural spring bursting out seemingly from nowhere. While the Thames is sometimes dry in this corner of the world (especially post-heat wave) the source is always right there, babbling away. It’s a true sight to see, and somewhere I’ve always taken visitors to.
The walk from the road to the source is only about 20 minutes, but you can extend it by continuing on through the fields.
As I’m sure you’ll have realised if you’ve got this far, Kemble is a quiet, remote village, so there’s not an abundance of activities for wedding guests – but we’re sure Peter and Harriet will be whisking their guests off for a royal reception post ceremony…
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