As a single mother, she struggled for years on a nurse’s salary and “scarce” resources. Now, after a whirlwind romance, Harriet Sperling, 45, is set to join the Royal family after becoming engaged to Peter Phillips,

"Mr. Peter Phillips, the son of HRH The Princess Royal and Captain Mark Phillips, and Ms. Harriet Sperling, daughter of the late Mr. Rupert Sanders and Mrs. Mary Sanders of Gloucestershire, have today confirmed their official engagement," spokesperson Gerard Franklin told Hello! in a statement.