Zara Phillips to marry in May
The Mail on Sunday is reporting that friends of Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall say they will marry in May next year. They have been secretly engaged for some months.
Mike and Zara at Cheltenham races earlier this year
The favoured venue, as of now, seems to be St. George’s Chapel, Windsor, with a reception at Frogmore House. Zara and Mike were clearly impressed with the ambience of her brother Peter’s nuptials in May. They will not be repeating the involvement of Hello! magazine, however.
Zara’s father, Mark Phillips, who coaches his daughter in her three-day eventing specialism, has asked her to delay an announcement until after the Beijing Olympics to concentrate on winning a gold medal. Zara has been the European Champion and currently holds the World title.
Any other Royal wedding planned for next year is likely to be in mid-summer to avoid a clash.
As it’s a slow news Sunday here’s a shot of the River Exe I took this morning.
The River Exe at Exeter with two canoeists enjoying the June weather
Love the photo!
By Teresa on June 8th, 2008 at 2:17 pm
I’m happy for them. I guess we will have two big weddings next year. I guess that will explain why Mike was pictured on the chapel steps with the royal family and in the official picture.
By Rman on June 8th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
Just seen the absolutely stunning pictures of Kate and William at the charity boxing match. They both look amazing and enormously happy.
Great to see.
By SuffolkSim on June 8th, 2008 at 3:52 pm
I’ve seen those too they look great and they actually allowed themselves being pictured as a couple at an event. Chelsy also looked very beautiful in a dark blue knee length dress.
By Isana on June 8th, 2008 at 4:41 pm
It’s true that Zara’s wedding will not be Royal—not if her mother has anything to say about it. And absent a magazine present, we may not see much more if it than we saw on the steps at Peter’s wedding.
I always expected the Big day for William would be high summer, But the engagement would still have to overlap with Zara’s. That’s probably ok, as it will allow Zara’s wedding to be truly low-key.
By Dan on June 8th, 2008 at 5:34 pm
The photos in Hello of Prince Harry and Chelsy Davy and of Prince William and Catherine Middleton are, indeed, very beautiful! The Boodles Boxing Ball is apparently quite an event! The news about Zara and Mike is very welcome and even though it means a wait for all of us, Mark Phillips is very right to ask Zara to postpone until after the Olympics.
By Gigi on June 8th, 2008 at 7:25 pm
I LOVE the pictures of PW and CM at the boxing event. I can’t believe the DM said her dress was cut down to her navel…it didn’t look that revealing to me. They all looked really happy.
By dally on June 8th, 2008 at 8:12 pm
Regarding the possibility of a mid-summer wedding for Prince William and Catherine Middleton in 2009, I was just thinking. Midsummer’s Day, which is also the Feast of Saint John the Baptist, is June 24th. Next year that falls on a Wednesday, but the Saturday following would constitute a mid-summer wedding. I wonder how late in May Zara and Mike are planning to hold their wedding.
I am so put out with China that I was going to shun the Olympics, but since Zara is competing, I shall watch the events.
Let us be flexible, at all costs.
By Gigi on June 8th, 2008 at 8:40 pm
Great news for Zara & Mike if true, but if they do get married next year. I cannot see William & Kate getting married next year though for two reasons. Number one Royal do not have two weddings in the same year, and the 2nd reason is Prince William is said to be very close to Zara and if he thought proposing to Kate & getting married to her next year in the same year as Zara it may make it difficult for Zara. I don’t think Prince William will want that to happen to Zara & her fella.
By Belinda on June 9th, 2008 at 1:31 am
What a fun theme for a wedding. I’m surprised Zara would want the same venue as Peter had. Would there be other impressive places available to her?
By dally on June 9th, 2008 at 1:40 am
I believe a large part of the attraction to Windso (i.e. Frogmore House, St. George’s Chapel) is the relative privacy of it all. Also it a good central location for many of their friends and families. Not to mention the reception at Frogmore House was built for parties and makes for a wonderful venue. Just my opinion. : )
By Fiona on June 9th, 2008 at 7:45 am
Windsor is also secure (in theory) and is a ravishing place to look at. My understanding, though, is that the venue isn’t set in stone and could be elsewhere.
One of the big London churches is also a possibility, but probably too grand for the self-effacing duo.
By John on June 9th, 2008 at 11:34 am
With Zara’s rather unusual taste and style, I can’t wait to see what bridal gown she selects, and the gowns she selects for her bridesmaids! I think it would be a lovely idea to have the wedding at Windsor and the reception at Frogmore again. The spectacular beauty of those venues made Peter and Autumn’s wedding quite an event.
By Gigi on June 9th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
The reception for Peter and Autumn was not held inside Frogmore House, but in what you Brit’s call a Marquee erected outside on the lawn, correct?
By Dan on June 9th, 2008 at 2:20 pm
I believe the meal was, Dan, and maybe the dancing. But most of the house would have been open to guests judging by the photographs.
By John on June 9th, 2008 at 2:26 pm
I cannot understand why two cousins cannot be married within the same year. What kind of strange rule is that? Only one wedding per family per summer? I’m sure this family can afford two presents the same year
The ladies can even afford a couple of new hats.
Would Zara be upset because William would marry a few months after her? Why would that take anything away from her wedding? “Oh no, William is getting engaged and I’m getting married in five months .He can’t do that to me! ”
Weird.
I don’t understand anything.
By dagga on June 9th, 2008 at 4:26 pm
I think it is because of the tremendous strain on the staff and the courtiers, dagga. A Royal wedding, even at it’s most simple, is a very complicated event to prepare and there is endless protocol to be strictly observed. It doesn’t matter how well kept St. George’s Chapel, Windsor is on a daily basis, preparation for a Royal wedding involves security checks and all sorts of detail work to make it worthy of the occasion. If the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will be in attendance–and if it is the wedding of their grandchild, they will be in attendance– everything must be raised to the top level. The same is true for Frogmore, which is an expensive and exhaustive venue to maintain, let alone have it worthy of the Queen’s attendance at a wedding reception. I am sure that the day after Peter and Autumn’s wedding, the entire staff at Frogmore and at Windsor collapsed with exhaustion and sick headaches! None of this prep work is easy and neither is it the work of a moment–it takes months and months.
By Gigi on June 9th, 2008 at 4:50 pm
You’re right, Gigi, there’s no doubt two Royal weddings within weeks would place a strain on some staff. But if one were in Windsor in early May, with catering etcetera done by outside contractors as with Peter’s bash, and the other in London in July with a reception in Buckingham Palace, I don’t think that would be beyond possibility.
The first would also serve as a taster for the second.
But this will already have been worked out. These things are rarely left to chance.
By John on June 9th, 2008 at 5:15 pm
Two Royal weddings within the same year , especially within two months of each other, would set me up for life! I hope that is how it works out, frankly.
Everyone start dieting now just in case.
By Gigi on June 9th, 2008 at 6:38 pm
yes Gigi, we must start dieting now as i’m sure you’ll put out one of your infamous spreads for this event as well….
By coni on June 9th, 2008 at 8:11 pm
Where is it written that Prince William and Kate Middleton must marry in Summer? Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, as well as Princess Anne and Mark Phillips, married in the month of November. If William and Kate married in the Fall of 2009, six months after Zara and Mike, that would provide a sufficient interval for Zara and Mike to have their day in the sun, before the spotlight shines on William and Kate. It would also be better for our waistline, given Gigi’s Royal Anecdotes Wedding Tea menu of delicious, high calorie treats.
By Arthur on June 9th, 2008 at 10:57 pm
Well, it would give us a few more months to work on our waistlines, Arthur, this I will grant you!
The only problem with November in London is that the weather will be gloomy, cold and rainy. It isn’t a problem for the bridal party, but it can be uncomfortable for the many thousands of people who line the procession to the wedding venue and palace, waiting for hours and even sleeping in the streets overnight to make sure they have a good view. 
By Gigi on June 10th, 2008 at 3:16 am
Well I believe next summer will be just fine if Kate and William decide to marry then b/c as of now Mike and Zara have no actual plans. Scheduling all the family members for two weddings in one year would be a bit of a nightmare.
By Fiona on June 10th, 2008 at 7:41 am
I don’t think the scheduling will be all that difficult. Most members of the Royal Family are probably on standby for a wedding anyway and if they’re told well in advance, there shouldn’t be a problem. The Queen and Philip have fewer engagements these days, and anyone who couldn’t make it simply wouldn’t be there.
Look how quickly the Phillips’s wedding has dropped out of public consciousness, despite the Hello! fandango. Zara’s wedding wouldn’t be a big deal. I really don’t see a problem here.
By John on June 10th, 2008 at 10:14 am
Excellent, John! I would love to see two Royal weddings next summer!
In fact, if Prince Harry decides the time is right, I’d love to see three Royal weddings next year. 
That might be a bit optimistic.
By Gigi on June 10th, 2008 at 3:08 pm
Could be a busy year then.
By John on June 10th, 2008 at 3:10 pm
Also a very joyous year filled with blessings!
By Gigi on June 10th, 2008 at 6:38 pm