It was a royal family affair at the Burghley Horse Trials today as Zara Tindall, Peter Phillips and his wife Harriet Sperling were all out in force.
Peter, 48, and Harriet, 45, were the picture of wedded bliss as they exchanged smiles and held hands on day two of the annual event in Stamford, Lincolnshire.
For the occasion, NHS nurse Harriet, who married the King’s nephew this summer, looked stylish in white, wide-leg trousers, a cropped black denim jacket, and a colourful printed blouse.
She finished her look with a pair of green suede ballet flats, a bright blue straw tote as well as a mini white clutch bag.
Meanwhile, Princess Anne‘s son donned a pair of navy trousers, a shirt and a gilet for a relaxed, sporty look.
They were joined by Peter’s sister Zara, an accomplished equestrian who takes part in the trials every year, their father, Captain Mark Phillips, 77, and his girlfriend Florence Standaert, 44.
The Princess Royal’s ex-husband has been rumoured to be dating the Belgian equestrian since 2022, with Florence also accompanying Captain Mark to Peter and Harriet’s ‘intimate’ Cotswolds wedding in June.
Harriet and Peter have spent their summer at an array of high society events – including Royal Ascot, Wimbledon and the Badminton Horse Trials – after tying the knot at All Saints Church in Kemble, Gloucestershire.
Peter, 48, and Harriet, 45, were the picture of newlywed bliss as they exchanged smiles and held hands on day one of the event in Lincolnshire
Princess Anne’s daughter Zara cut a casual figure in a pair of slim-fitting jeans, a windbreaker, sneakers and a navy baseball cap
Captain Mark Phillips, 77, pictured at the event with his girlfriend, Belgian equestrian Florence Standaert
They arrived today at the Burghley Horse Trials to cheer for Zara, who cut a casual figure in a pair of slim-fit denim jeans, a windbreaker jacket, a navy baseball cap, and white sneakers.
Her natural beauty shone through as the Olympic silver medallist sat down for an interview at the Burghley Horse Trials.
It comes after Zara claimed her first major championship title in nearly 20 years after riding to victory at the Hartpury International Horse Trials and British Championships last month.
Zara, 45, rode 17-year-old Class Affair to victory and took home a £5,000 prize.
An onlooker told HELLO! that Zara was having a ‘whale of a time’ as she competed, even shouting ‘Whee’ as she cleared the jumps.
They said: ‘Zara was in a crazy mood, she seemed super happy, smiling as she jumped over the jumps, even going “Whee”, she was smiling and beaming, kissing the horse.’
Speaking about her achievement, the onlooker added: ‘She’s taken this horse, who is on the downward trend, and taken him to glory in the British Open championships.’
The victory marked Zara’s first major championship title since she helped Britain claim team gold at the European Eventing Championships in 2007.
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NHS nurse Harriet, who married the King’s nephew this summer, looked stylish in white, wide-leg trousers, a cropped black denim jacket, and a colourful printed blouse
The Princess Royal’s ex-husband has been rumoured to be dating the Belgian equestrian since 2022, with Florence also accompanying Captain Mark to Peter and Harriet’s ‘intimate’ Cotswolds wedding in June
Zara got her game face on for the Trials
Zara during an interview at the Burghley Horse Trials today
But despite her triumph, the royal was forced to celebrate without her family, with no relatives spotted cheering her on from the sidelines.
However, several members of her family were out to support Zara today, with Princess Anne expected to attend the event on Sunday in her role as President of World Horse Welfare.
Zara is a serious international equestrian competitor, having garnered a gold medal at the European Eventing Championships in 2005 in addition to attaining a silver medal at the World Equestrian Games in 2006.
She has previously been crowned BBC Sports Personality of the Year and has been nicknamed the Royal Olympian.
It comes after Peter and Harrieta wed in front of a host of royals and socialites at All Saints Church, in Kemble near Cirencester, not far from Princess Anne’s home at Gatcombe Park.
Guests at their nuptials included the King and Queen, the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, as well as Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, with their respective husbands Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and Jack Brooksbank.
Harriet wore a white Emilia Wickstead gown and the Pragnell family tiara, while her wedding train was held by her three bridesmaids, her daughter Georgina, 14, and Peter’s children, Isla, 14, and Savannah, 15, with former wife Autumn Kelly, who all looked elegant in floral garlands and matching white dresses from the same designer.
The new Mrs Peter Phillips made her official debut as a member of the Royal Family at Royal Ascot shortly after, when she joined her husband in the traditional carriage procession.
NHS nurse Ms Sperling looked the picture of elegance in a Suzannah London blue silk Biarritz dress and cream Jimmy Choo slingback heels as she took her place beside her new mother-in-law, Princess Anne, in the horse-drawn carriage.
Aside from the wedding ring on her left hand, the biggest hint at Ms Sperling’s recent nuptials came via the sky-blue Anya Hindmarch clutch bag she carried – embroidered with her new initials, HP.

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