Laura Collett reflected on a special moment with Princess Anne, whom she has met through the equestrian circuit, along with her daughter Zara Tindall
A British equestrian, who has worked closely with Princess Anne and her daughter Zara Tindall, has opened up about what they are really like. Laura Collett has encountered the Princess Royal at various events on the equestrian circuit. In 2022, she shared a more personal moment with King Charles III’s sister when Anne presented her with an MBE.
“It was one of those surreal moments because she started chatting [to me] like a friendly face,” Laura, 36, said of the royal, who competed at the 1976 Summer Olympics. “It was nice because we have something in common,” she added in an interview with Hello! magazine.
Speaking about Zara, with whom she has shared teams and competed at events, Laura insisted she is refreshingly down to earth. “She’s so normal, we forget she’s a royal… she’s so lovely,” she said.
Zara is married to former rugby star Mike Tindall, and the couple have three children together. In a rare candid moment, she recently spoke about the realities of family life.
“Every day there is a different dilemma or problem, but it is incredible and I do look at myself differently,” she said, according to Bella magazine. “My personality is coming out in the kids and there are some parts that you love and some that you don’t like – and obviously some of Mike’s as well. There is never a dull moment.”
She also spoke about the importance of passing on shared values to their children. “You hopefully instil in them the values that you hold and, from both of us, what we have learned from our careers, hard work, dedication, motivation, lessons and respect,” she added.
“It is so easy to be distracted from that kind of thing, so we try every day to make sure they get the same values that we had.”
As for Princess Anne, she was recently ranked third in a 2026 poll measuring royal popularity. Voted for by the public, many Britons are said to warm to her famously “no-fuss” approach to duty, as well as her dry sense of humour and quick wit.
She is also frequently described as the hardest-working member of the Royal Family, carrying out hundreds of engagements each year both in the UK and overseas.
Additionally, the 75-year-old is said to be one of King Charles’ most trusted confidantes. In a documentary marking his 2023 coronation, she was heard affectionately referring to him as an “old bean”.
According to a royal aide, Anne is widely regarded as someone the King turns to for honest advice in both personal and professional matters.
She told Woman’s Day magazine: “Camilla might be the love of his life, but Anne’s his greatest and most reliable confidante. She’s the one who can tell him uncomfortable truths and keep him grounded.”
