Zara Phillips Royal Wedding: Less Regal, More Exclusive
Three months after the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge exchanged vows, Zara Phillips, Queen Elizabeth II’s eldest granddaughter will be married in Edingburgh, Scotland on Saturday.
Phillips, a former world championship winning equestrian, will marry Mike Tindall, a professional rugby player for Gloucester rugby team in England. Although Phillips was born to the Queen’s only daughter, Princess Anne, her royal status has often been underplayed.
Hugo Vickers, a royal historian, said the upcoming nuptials will not be like the royal wedding that countless viewers worldwide tuned in to watch her cousin Prince William take part in.
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Royal historian Hugo Vickers says it will be more "sporting celebrity occasion" than a royal wedding.
"The whole set-up is much more informal, it's very much a family thing," Vickers told BBC News.
"I wouldn't say [Tindall] is marrying into the royal family, rather she is marrying out of the royal family."
The wedding will take place in Scotland’s Edinburgh church, followed with a reception in Holyroodhouse, the official residence of the Scottish monarch.
According to BBC, the couple will travel from their ceremony to the reception in horse-drawn carriages.
Phillips, 30, and Tindall, 32, have been dating for seven years after an introduction by Prince Harry, according to MSNBC. Although many of the wedding details have been made private, The Telegraph reported that Phillips has been heavily involved in the process.
James Sleater, of Cad & Dandy tailors in London, said Phillips “wears the trousers” in the relationship and has been hands-on in selecting the wardrobe for the big day.
"Behind every man, there is a story of a powerful woman," Sleater told The Telegraph. "Zara has been involved and helped select the clothes."
According to MSNBC, Philips is less involved in the royal family. Princess Anne, Phillip’s mother, said her daughter will not hold any official royal title.
"Zara Phillips is not technically a member of the royal family - she just happens to have a mother who is," Vickers said.
BBC and other news sources are already referring to the upcoming nuptials as “the other royal wedding.”
