Zara Phillips
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Image:Zaraphillips.JPG Zara Anne Elizabeth Phillips (born May 15, 1981) is the daughter of Anne, the Princess Royal and her first husband, Captain Mark Phillips. She is 11th in the British Order of Succession. She is an elite standard equestrian.
Zara and her older brother Peter are the first grandchildren of a British sovereign to carry no title in over 500 years. It is said that HM The Queen offered to create her grandchildren prince and princess under a letters patent, but this was refused by Princess Anne who did not wish to unnecessarily burden her children with an official royal status. Furthermore, as Captain Mark Phillips had refused a peerage at the time of his marriage, his children were born untitled as there was no courtesy title to be conferred.
Zara was born in St Mary's Hospital of Paddington, London. She was baptised on July 27, 1981. Her godparents were Prince Andrew, Duke of York, Leonora Anson, Countess of Lichfield, Helen Stewart (wife of Jackie Stewart), Andrew Parker Bowles and Hugh Thoma.
Zara was educated at Port Regis Prep School in Dorset and at Gordonstoun, Scotland. Following the successful completion of her A Levels, Zara decided to take a year out, spending three months of it in Australia and New Zealand. She spent time with friends of her parents, working as, amongst other things, a stage hand on an Australian production of The King and I. Whilst Zara had always attracted the attention of the British press, not only because she was the eldest grand-daughter of the HM The Queen, but also for her somewhat feisty and spirited nature - her tongue and navel piercings at the age of 16 led her to be dubbed a "Royal Rebel", she was suddenly catapulted further into the limelight. Suddenly the world press picked up on the photogenic blonde who appeared to be having a wonderful time. Stories and pictures surfaced of Zara sunbathing topless, frolicking in the sea, bungee-jumping and enjoying the Sydney nightlife.
Upon her return to England, she enrolled at Exeter University in south-west England, and went on to qualify as an equine physiotherapist. These days the young royal leads a very sporty life. She hunts, three-day events, and plays hockey for Cheltenham Ladies' College, as well as serving as the president of Club 16-24, the young members' club at Cheltenham Racetrack. Following in both her parents' footsteps, she is an accomplished equestrian sportswoman. Her prize horse Toytown suffered a leg injury in the winter of 2003, shattering her hopes of competing in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. In a very close finish, she came second to Pippa Funnell in the Burghley Horse Trials in 2003. However, in 2005, she emulated her mother by winning the individual European Eventing Championship title at Blenheim Palace.
Her often stormy relationship with National Hunt jockey Richard Johnson attracted the unwelcome attention of the British paparazzi, and the couple's split in November 2003 became front page news. She has been linked to rugby player Caleb Ralph of New Zealand. As of October 2005, her current partner is Mike Tindall of the England national rugby union team; they are living together openly and there have been rumours that they are contemplating marriage.
Zara Phillips has an older brother, Peter Phillips, born in November 1977, and two half-sisters, Felicity Tonkin born in 1985 to her father and his former mistress and Stephanie, born in 1997 from her father's second marriage.
At present, Zara only undertakes royal duties associated with her equestrian career.
The graphic novel V for Vendetta contains a reference to "Queen Zara"; it is implied that following a nuclear war in the 1980s she was the most senior survivor in the order of succession. Nick Copeman's 2005 memoir, "King Nicholas and the Copeman Empire" is dedicated to Zara, and she is mentioned extensively throughout.
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