Showing posts with label Zara Phillips marry Mike Tindall. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Zara Phillips marry Mike Tindall. Show all posts

Saturday, 30 July 2011

Duke of Duchess of Cambridge steal the show at Zara Phillips's wedding party

Duke and Duchess of Cambridge stole the show last night as they boarded the Royal Yacht Britannia for a pre-wedding cocktail party ahead of Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall's wedding.
They were among scores of guests invited on board the vessel for drinks ahead of the couple's big day today.
The newlyweds looked a picture of happiness as they mingled with guests and family members - including Prince Harry and Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie.
Zara and England Rugby star Mike did not hold back expressing their clear affection for each other, posing for one last kiss in front of well-wishers following their wedding rehearsal at Edinburgh's Canonbury Kirk yesterday.
Zara, who arrived at the rehearsal wearing flip-flops, jeans and a hoodie, swiftly transformed herself in a £500 tie-dye silk dress from the U.S. label Alice and Olivia for the evening celebration - although it did reveal a white mark where he bikini top had been.
Once on board the yacht, she was spotted laughing and joking with friends - many of whom were rugby player friends of her fiancé.
The couple were also joined by the Earl and Countess of Wessex, Zara's brother Peter Phillips and his wife Autumn - and of course the bride's mother Princess Anne and her father Captain Mark Phillips.
Guests were photographed in dinner suits and evening suits sipping pink champagne as the sun set over Edinburgh.
Princess Beatrice looked stunning in a purple dress and belt, while Princess Eugenie opted for a red number.
Prince Harry was last to arrive at the yacht. He was alone, and bounced up the steps two at a time.
As the prince entered the party, a massive cheer could be heard from inside.
The party appeared to be mainly for the younger guests, with no sign of Zara's grandparents the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh or of Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall.
Zara, 30, and Mike, 32, arrived with Zara's parents Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips.
Anne's second marriage to Timothy Laurence was the last royal wedding to be held in Scotland, and took place in 1992 at Crathie Kirk near Balmoral.
A crowd had gathered on a decking area outside Ocean Terminal shopping centre, which had a view of the yacht. They enjoyed the early evening sunshine while hoping to catch a glimpse of members of the Royal Family.
The Royal Yacht Britannia served the Queen for 44 years. During that time the vessel has carried the monarch and the Royal Family on 968 official voyages.
Zara's parents cruised the West Indies in 1973 on their honeymoon.

Anne's second marriage to Timothy Laurence was the last Scottish royal wedding, taking place in 1992 at Crathie Kirk near Balmoral.
Also believed to be attending are the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, or the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay as they are known in Scotland; the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge; Prince Harry; and the Duke of York and his daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.
Tindall is likely to have invited some of England's best-known rugby players who are colleagues and friends.
The event, in contrast to the recent wedding of William and Kate, will be private, and the doors will be closed to the media and public.
The wedding may be small in comparison to the scale of the last royal wedding, which was watched by an audience of 2billion internationally, but it has nonetheless been welcomed by Scotland's tourism bosses.
Mike Cantlay, who chairs tourism agency VisitScotland, said: 'The wedding represents an absolutely wonderful showcase, not only for Edinburgh but for the whole of Scotland.
'The Royal Family and Scotland have enjoyed a relationship for hundreds of years, and tourism has become a natural partner.
Latest visitor figures from VisitScotland for the Holyrood House, Edinburgh Castle, the Royal Yacht Britannia, Glamis Castle and Balmoral Castle suggest a surge of interest in the Royal Family.

Zara Phillips, queen's granddaughter, preps to marry Mike Tindall

Zara Phillips ties the knot today with strapping rugby hero Mike Tindall – and it’s already clear who wears the trousers.


The Queen’s 30-year-old granddaughter banned 6ft 2in Mike from training in case he suffered a shiner and ruined the wedding snaps.


So it’s a pity best man Iain Balshaw was still sporting a sore-looking shiner from a recent moped accident in France during yesterday’s wedding rehearsal at 17th century Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh.


England captain Lewis Moody revealed Zara’s training ban at a charity event in aid of HopeHiv on Thursday. At the fundraiser, called An Evening with Lewis, Simon, Jamie and Ben, Lewis said: “Mike didn’t play today – he’s afraid he’s going to get a black eye for the wedding. The missus is in charge.”


He added: “There’ll be loads of us going to the wedding. ”


Players from England and Gloucester Rugby Club will be mingling with royal guests, including Prince William and Kate, Prince Harry and Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie.


Then it’s all back to the Queen’s Holyroodhouse for a party. But for the bride-to-be, the celebrations started three days ago. Zara, who will wear a stunning Stewart Parvin ivory dress, was spotted clubbing at Edinburgh’s swanky Tigerlily hotel and later in its Lulu bar, on Thursday.


This wedding won't be a lavish feast for royal watchers, however. "It's a private family wedding," said a Buckingham Palace spokeswoman. "We're not giving out any details."


That said, here are some details. They'll say their vows at Canongate Kirk, the parish church of Edinburgh Castle, with a reception at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the queen's official residence in Scotland. Phillips and Tindall, as well as Princess Anne, were photographed Friday leaving the church after their rehearsal. Zara had also been spotted earlier in the week getting a rare-for-her spa treatment, and some business-as-usual exercise.


That's a bit different than the wedding seen round the world in April -- that of Prince Charles' son Prince William to Kate Middleton, now Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. Being closer to the front of the line for the throne does have its implications, among them a million people hanging around in the streets for your big day.


Phillips, 30, the daughter of Princess Anne and her first husband Mark Phillips, has long been considered one of the most down-to-earth members of the royal family. The successful equestrian has no royal title. Tindall, 32, plays rugby.


According to the Daily Mail, guests are expected to include Queen Elizabeth II and most of the royal family -- the Tindall family hasn't yet met the queen -- and many sports figures, including a former England rugby player as best man.