Zara Tindall has acted as a bridesmaid at many royal weddings, wearing everything from a cute ruffled lace dress for Sarah Ferguson's big day to a corset frock for Lady Sarah Chatto's nuptials.
One thing that they had in common was the traditional bridal white colour. Though not an official royal rule, royal bridesmaids throughout history have worn the same colour as the bride to deter evil spirits. From Princess Diana's bridesmaids to Princess Kate's sister Pippa Middleton, a colourful bridal party is an extremely rare occurrence.
However, Zara's brother Peter Phillips and his ex-wife Autumn Kelly threw out the rulebook and chose beautiful sage green bridesmaid dresses. Peter became the first of Queen Elizabeth II's grandchildren to wed in 2008, and the event at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle saw Zara take on the role of bridesmaid alongside Autumn's close friends Jacqueline Aubie and Susannah Toynbee, while Peter's half-sister Stephanie and Autumn's half-sister Jessica were flower girls.
Princess Anne's daughter Zara looked radiant in the pistachio floor-length gown designed by American fashion designer Vera Wang. Complete with elegant bow detailing and a ruched bodice, the strapless green number was a trailblazing change for royal bridesmaids.
Autumn was a beautiful bride in a crisp white wedding dress, consisting of a fitted bodice made of hand-beaded lace, a silk duchesse skirt and a beaded French lace shrug, was created by British designer Sassi Holford.
"Doing such a gown does kind of encompass all the emotions the bride feels on her day – I was excited, then terribly nervous, then full of joy," the designer told HELLO!. The groom's sister Zara also told us: "Obviously I wouldn’t have missed this for the world," reflecting on her brother's special day.
Zara was joined by other members of the royal family to witness the celebrations, including the late Queen Elizabeth II, the late Prince Philip, King Charles, Queen Consort Camilla, Prince Harry, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.
© Getty"I was frightened of walking down the aisle. But when I got to the top of the stairs and saw how many of our friends and family had turned out to support us, I stopped being scared and actually enjoyed it," Autumn said at the time.
After 11 years of marriage, Autumn and Peter sadly announced that they were separating and they were officially divorced on 14 June 2021. They continue to co-parent their two children, Savannah and Isla.
When announcing their plans to divorce, the couple's spokesperson gave a joint statement which read: "The couple's first priority will remain the continued wellbeing and upbringing of their wonderful daughters Savannah and Isla. Both families were naturally sad at the announcement, but fully supportive of Peter and Autumn in the joint decision to co-parent their children."
DISCOVER: Why Zara Tindall wears three wedding rings – just like cousin-in-law Meghan Markle
