Next week, Zara Phillips, the Queen’s grandaughter, and superhorse Toytown, defend their European three-day eventing title in Rome.

Zara is quoted as saying, “A lot has changed in a short amount of time. I’ve certainly got a lot of confidence these days, which comes from winning the Europeans and the worlds. My confidence stems from the fact that others have belief in me now, a lot more than they had before. I don’t feel I have to prove myself any more to anyone. Nobody gave me those titles. The fact I come from the family I do had no relevance to what I’ve achieved. In fact, if anything, it’s been a disadvantage because of all the added attention.

“I’ve felt all along that I’ve had to do a lot better than others to get them to look at me as a sportswoman.”

At 26, Zara can certainly claim vindication for her long-term goals. It’s not an accident, of course, that her mother, Princess Anne, became European champion in 1971 and represented Britain at the 1976 Montreal Olympics. Her father, Mark Phillips, went one better, winning an Olympic team gold medal in Munich in 1972 and an Olympic team silver medal at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, as well as claiming the Badminton crown on four occasions.

Zara is still not satisfied, though. “I’ve done okay but there’s still loads of stuff to do. Sure, Mum didn’t win a world title, but she did compete at the Olympics and Dad has an Olympic gold and a silver medal. So there’s still so much to achieve.”

Her goal is to qualify automatically for next year’s Olympics, where the three-day event competition will be staged in Hong Kong. Naturally she’s aiming for gold.

“I’m pretty desperate to compete in the 2008 Games, partly because both my parents competed for Britain at the Olympics but also because Toytown and I missed out in 2004,” she says.

“As soon as London got the Olympics we’ve all been looking around to find the right horse for those particular Games. To be able to compete at the London Olympics will be really, really special. I got a taste of what having home support backing you is like when I won the European title at Blenheim in 2005. It will be 10 times as good in 2012.”

Unfortunately, Toytown’s career will not extend as far as the London Olympics. “Ah, well, I think I’ve found another special horse,” she said.

“I’m not going to tell you its name because there’s a long way to go, but he’s got loads of potential and I’m excited about the future.”

Let’s hope Zara and Toytown hit top form in Rome next week.

According to Karen Price of the Western Mail (the newspaper of Wales), singer Charlotte Church says she wishes Prince William and Kate Middleton would get married. It seems that would take the pressure off her and rugby star boyfriend, Gavin Henson.

Call me old fashioned, but isn’t that just the teensie-weensiest bit selfish? To call on your future King to marry in order to take the spotlight off yourself … well, it’s a lot to ask by any standards.

Maybe we can put it down to the hormones generated by her pregnancy — a good enough reason for you to wed, Charlotte!

The Western Mail says, “But the pregnant singer– turned TV presenter — now admits that it is unlikely she and the injured Welsh rugby international will tie the knot themselves. And while she feels she attracts as much media interest as the Royal couple, Charlotte, 21, says she isn’t flash with cash.”

Too much information and not enough action, Royal Anecdotes believes.

Charlotte apparently told the Sunday Times’ Style section last weekend, “He’s the most gorgeous, lush, beautiful man I’ve ever seen.” That’s Henson, by the way.

Well then, do it for King and Country, Charlotte.

Prince William and Kate Middleton have enjoyed a late holiday at Tam-na-Gar, or Teapot cottage, on the Balmoral Estate.

Teapot cottage at Balmoral

The cottage is a three-bedroomed bothy left to William by the Queen Mother. The couple were totally alone except for two protection officers posted in a nearby building.

They spent their days fishing, taking 10-mile treks around Loch Muick, or listening to William’s extensive CD collection.

A source said, “It’s significant that William has taken Kate back to that cottage because not only is it the only place he can call home — it’s totally his — it’s also where their affair grew when he used to take her there for weekends when they were both students at St. Andrews.”

The refurbishment of the gamekeeper’s cottage was supervised by Kate herself, so reflects her particular tastes. It’s the nearest they have to a pre-marital home.

“There’s a nice little kitchen and they both enjoy cooking simple stuff,” the source added. “William’s speciality is a casserole with venison from the Balmoral Estate.” Sometimes, however, they would beg a takeaway from Prince Charles’s chef at Birkhall.

Occasionally, they also dined with William’s father and the Duchess of Cornwall at nearby Birkhall. “Camilla is particularly pleased that things are back on and going well between them. She thinks Kate is a thoroughly good thing for William.”

The story moves up another notch.

Remember those early post-uni days when Kate Middleton set out to create her own mail order children’s clothing line?

She was said to have spent many hours and much money travelling to Milan, and other centres of fashion, sourcing fabrics and ideas for her merchandise. Not surprisingly perhaps, she ran out of money before the business started up. There were even security fears about the level of personal information needed to set up a company — although nominee directors might have got around that one. The project was eventually dropped.

Now her potential cousin-in-law Princess Beatrice is said to be working on her own clothing line, and has even started to sketch ideas for her first collection.

Of course, if Bea’s idea is to challenge model and now fashion designer Kate Moss for the Top Spot, it may be more difficult than it seems, for Bea lacks Moss’s “edgeiness” and “cool” credentials. So far her fashion sense has been more derided than praised. Her mother, Fergie, Duchess of York, is a well-established fashion disaster zone.

However, friends are rallying round. “It was Beatrice’s idea. She has always loved clothes and has an innate sense of style. She has said she is going to start up her own line of clothing and plans to call it Bobcat. She’s creating the label with one of her girlfriends. She has lots of ideas for her first collection although she hasn’t made a garment yet.”

The friend added, “She is quite reserved with what she wears. But she has a sophisticated sense of style and a knack of knowing how to accessorise her clothes. She’s always up to speed with the latest trends.”

Maybe Kate Middelton and Bea can get together on a joint children and adult clothing line.

Bibcat, perhaps?