Revealed: The fashion tip Princess Anne gave Zara Tindall which is behind some of her most elegant looks
She has never been one for flashy fashion statements, preferring classic British elegance over fleeting trends.
And it's perhaps no surprise Zara Tindall favours the understated look, given that her mother is the famously down-to-earth Princess Anne.
From practical country attire to chic race-day ensembles, Anne and her daughter have often worn strikingly similar outfits over the years.
Zara recently paid tribute to her mother’s no-nonsense and functional approach to fashion.
Speaking to Hello magazine, Zara revealed that her mother has taught her how to combine 'timeless elegance with craftsmanship and practicality' in her outfits.
She said: 'Mum taught me the importance of having good-quality clothing that keeps you warm and comfortable outdoors.'
This emphasis on comfort over flashiness is at the heart of Princess Anne’s look, with functionality and tradition reigning supreme.
Much like her mother, Zara is known for championing British brands that reflect her active lifestyle, and has inherited many of the qualities that make Princess Anne such an important figure in the royal family.
If there’s one thing Princess Anne is famous for, it’s her ability to repurpose clothing for decades, often stepping out in outfits that she's worn since the 1970s.
Attending a service of Thanksgiving held in honour of Queen's Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee in 2022, Princess Anne dressed in a Shibumi blue coat with a funnel neck and matching hat. A year later at the King’s Coronation Zara Tindall stepped out in a bespoke Laura Green coat with the same flattering neckline and hat. In a further nod to her mother’s style she added a diamond brooch last worn by her mother in 2017
Zara took a leaf out of her mother’s fashion playbook at Royal Ascot in 2024 in a buttercup yellow Laura Green dress, complete with puff sleeves and a structured silhouette bearing resemblance to the gown worn by Princess Anne over 30 years ago
Zara at the Adelaide 500 Supercars Championship in Australia in 2022, stepping out in an emerald green silk shirt dress by designer Sally Phillips. With its crisp collar, floaty silhouette and striking puff shoulders, it was a near replica of the silk jacquard printed frock that her mother wore a year earlier at Royal Ascot
When attending the New Year’s Day Cheltenham Races, Zara mirrored a look her mother has worn for nearly five decades by wearing a fur-collared coat.
Showing that style in the saddle runs in the family, Anne and Zara have both competed in the Olympics. At a horse trial in Russia in 1973, Princess Anne wore a traditional top hat and tails. Fast forward nearly four decades, and Zara followed in her mother’s footsteps in the competition arena at the 2013 Badminton Horse Trials
Anne and Zara have both attended Cheltenham races wearing a navy fedora
The royal women have long embraced heritage prints such as houndstooth. Back in 2004, Princess Anne attended the Global Challenge Round The World yacht race in a striking houndstooth coat. In 2020 Zara donned a similar coat by Laura Green for Cheltenham Festival
The mother-daughter duo share a love for practicality, and their choice of plaid shirts over the decades is the perfect example of this. Back in 1967, a young Princess Anne opted for a casual plaid shirt while watching the polo at Windsor Great Park. Half a century later the look was repeated when Zara chose a checked Rails shirt at Gatcombe
Princess Anne is known for her sporty style. Her Adidas sunglasses are one accessory the princess has worn plenty of times including Cheltenham Festival in 2015. Zara was the double of her mother when wearing the Team GB branded sunnies at the 2012 Olympics.
Both championing repeat wears, Zara also has this same love for longevity, regularly recycling favourite pieces for key events.
Unlike some royals who lean into high fashion, both Anne and Zara have perfected the art of wearing clothes that serve a purpose. Whether for a countryside walk, a day at the races, or a formal royal engagement, their wardrobes reflect their active lifestyles.
Princess Anne has long been an advocate for sensible dressing, favouring tailored coats, silk scarves, and leather boots that can be worn year after year.
Zara, meanwhile, has modernised this approach, opting for structured silhouettes with a contemporary edge but always sticking to the classic style passed down by her mother.
While Anne’s reputation is built on practicality over trend-following, she has also had her fair share of fashion-forward moments.
Often dubbed the original royal style rebel, Anne has never been afraid to make bold choices, and Zara has undoubtedly inherited this daring spirit.
Unlike many royals who adhere strictly to tradition, both Anne and Zara have embraced individuality in their fashion choices. Where Kate leans into polished, regal ensembles, Zara, like her mother, opts for a more relaxed and effortless style.
