A white-walled parish church on Edinburgh's Royal Mile could be the setting for a royal wedding. Canongate Kirk is being tipped as the likely venue for Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall's nuptials after the bride-to-be reportedly made enquiries about getting married there on Saturday July 30.And it has emerged that the church's minister, Reverend Neil Gardner, has asked another couple to move their own wedding to avoid a clash.
Cherith Harrison and Gregg Walter have apparently relocated their big day to Greyfriars Kirk, and the father of the bride has been quoted as saying they were "quite happy" to step aside for Zara and her groom. The parish church for the Scottish Parliament and Edinburgh Castle, Canongate Kirk was founded in 1688 and completed in 1691 at the behest of King James VII of Scotland.
The interior features pews and fittings unusually painted in baby blue while the white walls are lined with the flags of local regiments.
A spokesperson for Zara, 29, has insisted nothing has been finalised, and Reverend Gardner said he was unable to comment, but he did add: "I'm sure there will be an announcement."Princess Anne's daughter is said to be "desperate" to wed in Scotland in the summer.The royal family has strong ties with the country and with Canongate Kirk in particular.The Queen worships there when she stays at the Palace of Holyroodhouse – the monarch's official residence in Scotland and a probable setting for Zara and Mike's reception (pictured below).
And Princess Anne famously tied the knot with second husband Commander Timothy Laurence in a private ceremony at Crathie Kirk, near Balmoral, in 1992. Should Zara marry in Scotland, it will be the first royal wedding there since her mother's. Rugby star Mike, 32, and Zara announced their engagement in December – five weeks after her cousin Prince William confirmed his plans to wed.The happy couple have been dating for seven years having met in 2003 during the Rugby World Cup.