Zara Phillips is the youngest daughter of Princess Anne and Captain Mark Philips and their only daughter together. She was born on 15th May 1981. Like her bother Peter, Zara does not possess nor is she likely to possess a royal title during her lifetime. She is presently 12th in the line of succession and this is unlikely ever to take the British throne. As she is the daughter of the female line of accession, Zara Philips, like her brother, does not hold the title of Her Highness and her mother, the Princess Royal, refused honorary titles for them.
Zara Phillips attended Beaudersert Preparatory in Port Regis and then followed in the footsteps of many members of the British Royal Family to attend Gordonstoun School, Scotland. Later, she graduated from Exeter University, where she majored in Equine Physiotherapy and obtained her degree. That qualified her to practice as a physiotherapist for horses.
Like her parents before her, Zara Phillips is an accomplished horseman. At present she is the Eventing World Champion and was appointed MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in 2007 for her contribution to equine sports. She has also achieved public approval, being voted BB Sports Personality of the Year 2006.These accomplishments have not come without strife, as Zara has missed two Olympics as a result of training injuries to her horse and she has more recently missed training and events after her horse tripped and broke both its neck and her collarbone.
Unlike her brother, Peter Phillips, Zara Philips does spend time in the public eye. She is known for joining her mother in support of a number of charities, and she assists in other royal duties. Most of Zara Phillips’ links are to medical charities such as nerve research and children’s hospitals, although her interests and support are as diverse as possible. Some of her charities include: Inspire, Cauldwell Charitable Trust and the Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital. She is also known for starring in a viral web video to promote the British Eventing team: something that is somewhat of a first among royalty who do not usually get involved with advertising ventures.
Zara’s private life is less well known that that of her mother, although she is not as clandestine as her brother who is ahead of her in line for succession to the British throne. Her relationships and forays into the world of modeling have received much press attention: most of it positive. As yet (August 2009), she has not married. She was engaged to Richard Johnson, a National Hunt jockey but that relationship came to an end and Zara moved out of the home they shared together. She has also seriously dated Mike Tindall, a member of the England Rugby team who won the World Cup
Zara has two half-sisters, one as a result of her father’s affair with Heather Tonkin, the other a child with his second wife Sandy Pflueger. It is not really known how much contact she has with her half-sisters.
- Full Name: Zara Anne Elizabeth Phillips
- Father: Captain Mark Phillips
- Mother: Princess Anne
- Born: 15th May, 1981
- Married: no
- Children: none
