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Princess Anne's sweetest mummy moments with Zara Tindall

8 adorable baby photos of Zara Tindall with her mother Princess Anne

The Princess Royal and her daughter share the sweetest bond

Georgia Brown
Senior Lifestyle & Fashion Writer
April 8, 2024
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Little is known about how Princess Anne privately raised her two children, Zara and Peter Phillips, though her children have credited their mother for her commitment to creating a 'normal' upbringing.

"I definitely remember having a lot of fun and being able to experience a lot of things. I'm very lucky that my parents were able to do that for us or whatever they were involved in, whether it was the horses or the sailing or the travelling," Zara said in a video promoting the British clothing brand, Musto

"From my point of view, I was obviously very lucky that my mother didn't give us any titles so I really commend her on that," Zara continued. "We were very lucky that we got to do it a bit our own way."

Princess Anne and Zara Tindall ride in carriage at Royal Ascot 2022© Getty
Princess Anne shares a close relationship with her daughter, Zara

In archival photos from Zara's baby and toddler years, it's clear to see that from a very young age, Princess Anne had an unbreakable bond with her mini-me daughter. 

From taking her on royal engagements, to carrying her on her shoulders, Zara's early years looked to be full of excitement and joy. See the sweetest photos from Zara Tindall's first years with her mother, Princess Anne…

Zara is born - 1981

Princess Anne leaves St Mary's Hospital, Paddington, with her three day-old baby daughter, Zara Phillips, London, 18th May 1981.© Keystone
Princess Anne leaves St Mary's Hospital, Paddington, with her three day-old baby daughter, Zara Phillips

Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips' daughter, Zara Anne Elizabeth, was born in May 1981 at St Mary's Hospital Lindo Wing. 

princess anne lindo wing© Getty
Princess Anne left the London Wing with her daughter

Following her daughter's birth, the Princess smiled for photographers on the steps of the Lindo Wing, cradling her baby girl as she left for home. It was the first time a royal was photographed with their baby on these now-iconic steps.

Princess Anne teaches Zara how to ride a horse

Princess Anne encourages her daughter as she rides a horse for the first time© Clive Postlethwaite/Shutterstock
Princess Anne encourages her daughter as she rides a horse for the first time

The Princess Royal was every inch a proud mother when her daughter Zara rode a horse for the first time. 

A right royal piggy back

Zara Phillips on Princess Anne's shoulders at the Windsor Horse Show© Tim Graham
Zara Phillips on Princess Anne's shoulders at the Windsor Horse Show

Hands-on parenting wasn't an approach deemed the 'norm' of motherhood for the royal family, who often relied on the help of nannies to look after the children. 

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, for example, were often required to go on several-month-long tours as part of their working royal engagements, leaving behind their children Charles, Anne, Andrew and Edward. 

Princess AnnegGiving Her daughter, Zara a piggyback-ride at Windsor Horse Show© Tim Graham
Princess AnnegGiving Her daughter, Zara a piggyback-ride at Windsor Horse Show

Going against the status quo, Princess Anne was one of the first royal mothers to challenge this belief; and Princess Diana, Princess Kate and even Zara herself have since followed suit. 

Zara shares her mother's love for horses

Princess Anne and Zara wear Wellington boots at the Royal Windsor Horse Show in 1985© David Hartley/Shutterstock
Princess Anne and Zara wear Wellington boots at the Royal Windsor Horse Show in 1985

Princess Anne and her daughter were twinning in khaki green Wellington boots when they braced the rain at the Windsor Horse Trials in 1985. 

Excited toddler Zara looked mesmerised by the horse in front of her - a magical foreshadowing of her future as an Olympic equestrian. 

Royal mother-daughter style twins

The Princess Royal always kept her daughter close by© Getty
The Princess Royal always kept her daughter close by

Twinning in tartan, Princess Anne proudly held onto her daughter's tiny hand as the family arrived in Scrabster, Scotland, for their summer holiday. 

Zara's Royal Ascot debut - 1989

Zara Phillips at Royal Ascot in 1989© Shutterstock
Zara Phillips at Royal Ascot in 1989

Both Princess Anne and Zara have had glittering sporting careers as equestrians, and it's clear to see how the Princess Royal's passion for horses was inherited by her daughter. 

By age eight, Zara was joining her mother at Royal Ascot, one of Britain's most well-known racecourses.

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