Zara Tindall's absence from Royal Family events looks set to continue as schedule revealed

Zara Tindall with Class Affair during the horse inspection ahead of the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials at Burghley House,

Zara Tindall's absence from Royal Family events looks set to continue as schedule revealed

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Holly Bishop

By Holly Bishop


Published: 04/09/2024

- 17:36

The mum-of-three missed a reunion at Balmoral castle with her wider family over summer due to an equestrian event

Zara Tindall’s hectic schedule will continue to impact her presence at Royal Family events, following a busy summer dominated by sports.

The 43-year-old’s equestrian career is dominating her calendar, with the royal competing in numerous sporting events up and down the country.


Over the bank holiday weekend, she competed in the Wellington International Trials in Hampshire, and a few weeks prior, she also took part in the Hartpury International Horse Trials - where she was supported by her husband Mike and their three children, Mia, ten, Lena, eight, and three-year-old Lucas.

Tindall also kicked off the summer with the Badminton Horse trials in May, where she was also supported by her family.

Zara Tindall with Class Affair during the horse inspection ahead of the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials at Burghley House,Zara Tindall's absence from Royal Family events looks set to continue as schedule revealedPA

However, her commitment to the sport has meant she has had to sacrifice precious time with the wider Royal Family.

The mum-of-three missed a reunion at Balmoral castle with her uncle King Charles and Queen Camilla.

The two were joined by the Prince and Princess of Wales and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, who attended a service at Crathie Kirk on August 25.

The Wellington International Horse Trials took place over the Bank Holiday weekend from August 24 to August 26.

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Zara Tindall with Class Affair

Zara Tindall’s hectic schedule will continue to impact her presence at Royal Family events

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Tindall with her horse Class Affair ahead of the event

Tindall with her horse Class Affair ahead of the event

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A royal source previously said: “Charles really wants Zara and the family to join him on the last Sunday in August for the bank holiday service, but understands that her horse competitions are extremely important to her.

“Charles is hoping that they [the Tindalls] will be able to come up the week earlier to muck in with the rest of the family so that everyone can enjoy the picnics and walks planned on the estate.”

Her busy schedule shows no signs of slowing down, as the 43-year-old is scheduled to compete at the Burghley Horse Trials near Stamford, Lincolnshire from September 5 to 8.

The dressage for the five-star events kicks off tomorrow and continues on Friday, with cross-country on Saturday and showjumping on Sunday. It is one of just seven five-star events in the world - the highest level of competition.

Balmoral Castle

King Charles, Prince Andrew and other members of the Royal Family stayed at Balmoral for a summer break

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Zara TindallZara Tindall is a worldwide professional equestrianGetty

Back in 2003, when Tindall was just starting off her career in the sport, she finished as a runner-up.

She followed in her parent’s footsteps, with her mother, Princess Anne, becoming the first British royal to compete in the Olympics, whilst her father Captain Mark Phillips, is an Olympic gold medalist.

There was one notable sporting event that Tindall missed out on this summer - the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The 43-year-old’s dream of getting a spot on Team GB was sadly not realised after the lineup was announced, and Tindall, who won a silver medal for the sport back at the 2012 London Olympics, was not on the squad.

Tindall told Vogue in 2022 that she was back in training for the Olympics, attempting to balance her riding with looking after her three children.

She won a gold medal at the European Eventing Championships in 2005 and a silver at the World Equestrian Games in 2006, after which she won BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

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