Zara Tindall's wedding paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth in a way no other royal grandchild did and it showcased their special bond
Her cousins chose different ways to honour the monarch, but this nod to their grandmother wasn't instantly obvious
Zara Tindall has described Queen Elizabeth as an "inspiration to us all" and she took this to heart on her wedding day too. She and Mike are celebrating their 15th anniversary on 30th July and when they tied the knot in 2011 they paid tribute to her grandmother with arguably the biggest decision a bride can make for her big day.
The equestrian royal walked down the aisle of Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh wearing a striking drop-waist gown. It was very different to a lot of other royal wedding dresses and unlike her cousins or their brides, she picked Stewart Parvin as her designer.
He is famous for being one of Queen Elizabeth's favourite dressmakers and designed so many of her most iconic clothes, including the green coat she wore for her final balcony appearance and her lime look for the Sussexes' nuptials.
It can be seen as a sweet tribute to Queen Elizabeth that tied the two together and this was emphasised by the monarch's outfit too. She wore a pastel pink Stewart Parvin coat dress with a matching hat to her granddaughter's wedding, so both championed the same designer.
Zara and the Queen were incredibly close, so I would be surprised if her choice to wear Stewart Parvin was a coincidence. Princess Beatrice was the only other grandchild to wear a wedding gown by one of the Queen's designers, but her Norman Hartnell dress once actually belonged to Elizabeth and wasn't by her current dressmaker.
The others have all honoured the Queen in other ways at their weddings and there were a few other details on Zara and Mike's day that incorporated a link to her too.
Zara's bouquet included lilies - a possible nod to Elizabeth's nickname Lilibet - and the Queen hosted their reception at her official Scottish residence, the Palace of Holyroodhouse. She and Zara had a lot in common besides dress designers, as the two shared a passion for horses.
They were often pictured excitedly watching the races at Ascot and Cheltenham and Zara Tindall rarely got on her grandmother's bad side - at least as an adult.
When asked if she ever got that "stern look" from Queen Elizabeth, she responded, "I always get the good look. We are okay. I think we are alright. Probably when we were much younger, but not recently, definitely not."
Retired rugby star Mike has also commented on his wife's relationship with the Queen on his The Good, The Bad & The Rugby podcast.
"Zara loved the Queen beyond everything else, their connection with horses, same with the Princess Royal, they had a real bond around that," he explained.
Mike Tindall also developed a bond with her and earlier this year he told woman&home's Royal Correspondent Emily Andrews that his “biggest regret” was holding back from asking questions.
"I was lucky enough to have the best seat in the house on 14 or 15 occasions when I sat next to the Queen. She was this icon and I knew she had so many stories, but I never asked," he said.
