Zara Phillips and her husband Mike Tindall are certainly living by the motto new year, new start. The Telegraph reports that the married couple have sold their classic £1.2 million Georgian house nestled in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.
The good news is that their rumoured new address is just twenty minutes down the road, the even better news being that it is located in the grounds of Gatcombe Park – Zara's mother's sprawling country pile. Princess Anne's beloved estate is home both to her family and to the eponymous horse trials she runs alongside her ex-husband and Zara's father, Captain Mark Phillips. Her son Peter, his wife Autumn and their two young daughters also live there, but as much as the family pull may have swayed Zara's decision to move, the selling point would no doubt have been the stables and equestrian facilities that Gatcombe Park has at its disposal. The Olympic gold medallist – who won silver at the London 2012 Olympics as part of Team GB's Eventing squad – already trains and stables her horses in the grounds.
Both Zara and Mike previously lived in a two-bedroom cottage (pictured above) in Gatcombe Park estate for almost three years before finding their five-bedroom Gloucestershire mansion. But they're now set to return to a bigger house on the premises as they perhaps think about expanding their family in the near future. With a move on the cards, Zara rode the winds of change, sporting a fresh and glamorous look as she stepped out at a cocktail party in Australia recently. The Queen's granddaughter was Down Under in her role as the ambassador for the Magic Millions carnival's Racing Women initiative, and the solo engagement provided a chance for Zara to shed her earthy image and embrace her thoroughbred credentials. A blue print dress and nude pumps similar to those favoured by the Duchess of Cambridge aided the transformation.
Magic Millions is an initiative aimed at increasing the representation of female jockeys, trainers and owners in Australia. As a passionate horsewoman, Olympic medal winner and high-profile royal, Zara was the perfect choice to champion the cause and was clearly in her element as she mingled with other riders at the event.