Zara Tindall's husband, Mike Tindall, has given a touching insight into his wife and her late grandmother Queen Elizabeth II's relationship.
READ: Mike Tindall reveals biggest regret about his relationship with the Queen
Speaking on his podcast The Good, the Bad and the Rugby, the former rugby player said: "Zara loved the Queen beyond everything else, their connection with horses, same with the Princess Royal, they had a real bond around that."
WATCH: The Queen's pony Emma makes emotional appearance at funeral
So strong was her passion, Zara built a career around her love of horses, choosing to study Equine Physiotherapy at Exeter University, though according to Tatler, the royal began studying equestrian massage before transferring courses to equine physiotherapy.
READ: The sweet reason Queen Elizabeth II loved horses so much
MORE: Will Queen's beloved Corgis grieve royal mum? Dog expert reveals all
Zara made good use of her equestrian degree, winning a silver medal at the London 2012 Olympics as part of the Great Britain Eventing team, and in January 2020, she became a director at Cheltenham racecourse.
Queen Elizabeth's love of horses and horse racing was also well-documented, with Her Majesty breeding horses specifically to partake in the sport.
Zara Tindall and Queen Elizabeth II at the races
Following the monarch's death, sports journalist Clare Balding, who knew the Queen her whole life, shared the sweet reason behind the Queen's love of horse racing.
SEE: The Queen's beloved horse Emma makes surprise appearance at Windsor service
Speaking on the BBC during the Queen's final journey from Northolt to Buckingham Palace, Clare said: "The Queen's passions were horses and dogs. Racing was the passion she shared with the public. The Queen loved to go to the stables to see horses on gallops in the morning and talk to all the grooms."
Zara Tindall made a career from her love of horses
The broadcaster went on to share that Her Majesty enjoyed horse racing because all eyes were not on her for a change.
"Racing was such a wonderful thing for her to be able to enjoy, she liked the attention to be on others and that was the case at the races," Clare said.
Her Majesty's love for horses extended to Highland and fell ponies in Balmoral, as well as her racehorses, according to Clare, who said that Queen loved to talk about animal behaviour.
Like this story? Sign up to The Royal Life newsletter to get your weekly dose of royal lifestyle inspiration, from the must-see fashion moments to sneak peeks into royal homes and wellness news.
