Princess Anne’s tribute to Queen Elizabeth’s legacy with special family day out

Princess Anne’s tribute to Queen Elizabeth’s legacy could be seen as she enjoyed a family day out at an event that was special to her. 

• Princess Anne and Zara Tindall both attended Cheltenham Festival on its opening day as their passion for equestrian events shone through. 
• This could be seen as Princess Anne’s tribute to Queen Elizabeth’s legacy as she and her mother attended Cheltenham together.
• This royal news comes as we revealed that Queen Camilla’s unique ballerina brooch is a ‘sign of devotion’ and ‘prosperity’ as she wowed in a go-to regal color for special engagement. 

Fans might be accustomed to seeing the immediate and extended Royal Family at major events or public occasions, but the royals also continue to enjoy sweet family moments on a more low-key scale too. Stepping out on March 14 a short distance from her Gatcombe Park home Princess Anne’s tribute to Queen Elizabeth’s legacy could be seen as she continued her late mother’s tradition of a family day out. 

She and Zara and Mike Tindall both attended the first day of Cheltenham Festival and although mother and daughter weren’t pictured together, it’s perhaps likely that both royals spent at least some time together or saw each other at the races.

Known for their passion for horses, this was something they shared with Queen Elizabeth and her mom, the Queen Mother. Cheltenham in particular seems to have been a very special moment in the two Queens’ calendars each year too. Back in 1957 they were photographed attending the races together, excitedly looking around at the horses and crowds.

Over the years they returned again and again, with the Queen Mother seen delightedly presenting a trophy in 1985 and Queen Elizabeth greeting jockeys and eagerly watching the races’ progress with binoculars. She and Zara also went to Cheltenham together several years following the Queen Mother’s death in 2002 and appeared to be having a brilliant time. 

So it seems this particular event is something that meant a lot to the Queen and Queen Mother and Princess Anne and Zara’s trip to Cheltenham 2023 is likely incredibly special. This is the first Cheltenham Festival since the Queen’s passing and was a wonderful opportunity for the Princess Royal and Zara to honor not only a passion they all shared but the legacy of attending together. 

Mother and daughter have previously been glimpsed together at the festival enjoying the races in the past too. And with the Cheltenham Festival running for four days each year they could also attend again in 2023, especially given that the Queen Mother Champion Chase race has yet to be run. This was given its title in the Queen Mother’s 80th birthday year in recognition of her support and last year Princess Anne presented the winner with their trophy. 

The Queen was known to have been eager to encourage Zara’s passion for horses in particular from a young age and would likely have been delighted to see Zara and Princess Anne continue to attend the festival as she and the Queen Mother did. It was previously revealed that the Queen once broke a huge Royal Ascot rule for her granddaughter due to her love of all things equestrian.

Back in 1989 Zara was given permission to attend Royal Ascot despite being just 8 and the races having a strict age restriction at the time. Meanwhile, Zara has more recently spoken about how her horses make her know she’s “good enough”.

"I love riding for my country; those have been the best experiences of my career,” she told Horse & Hound (opens in new tab) in 2020. "To get your horse to that level is what it's all about and what we all strive for. I love the big occasion because I love the pressure. Sitting on a horse that you know is good enough, you are fully prepared, riding for your country, it's what your dreams are made of."