Zara Tindall and her mother Princess Anne made a rare joint appearance at the World Horse Welfare Annual Conference at the Royal Geographical Society in London last week
Matt Jackson Trendswatch Content Editor
10:30, 25 Nov 2025
Zara Tindall made a rare comment during an appearance with Princess Anne(Image: Max Mumby/Indigo, Getty Images)
Zara Tindall has expressed that “it’s gone downhill” during a rare joint appearance with her mother, Princess Anne. Both the 44-year-old and her 75 year old mother share a love for equestrian pursuits.
Anne represented Great Britain in the three-day event at the Montreal Olympics in 1976, while Zara won an Olympic silver medal in team eventing at London 2012, also placing eighth in the individual competition.
Their shared love of horses led to their joint appearance at the World Horse Welfare Annual Conference at the Royal Geographical Society in London last week. Here, Zara encouraged attendees to view the world “through the horse’s eyes”.
As a patron of the World Horse Welfare charity, Zara also spoke about the impact politics has had on animals. The niece of King Charles admitted that it is now “more stressful” to transport a horse abroad post-Brexit, according to Tatler.
She stated: “If we’re talking about legislation and how we have gone back in time, sort of post-Brexit, our travel time for horses and their welfare has definitely gone downhill.”
Zara Tindall and Princess Anne recently made a rare public appearance together(Image: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
Zara added: “I know people are doing it less and less now because it’s such hard work. It’s more stressful on the horses than it used to be. It’s got worse.”
Conventionally, members of the Royal Family strive to stay politically neutral in order to “support the monarch”.
Previously, constitutional authority Alastair Bruce explained to the Mirror: “All members of the Royal Family, other than the sovereign, may vote. Traditionally, they do not.
Anne and Zara share a passion for horses
“This is principally to protect the apolitical nature of their support to the monarch but also because, in the past, as royal dukes, many male members of the family were prevented by law from voting because they could sit as peers in the House of Lords.”
He continued: “When the Royal Family agreed to withdraw from exercising their rights to sit and speak in the House of Lords in 1999, it technically lifted the bar to vote in elections.”
Zara took part in the 2012 Olympics(Image: PA Archive/PA Images)
Zara nevertheless is regarded as a ‘non-working royal’ and doesn’t have to adhere to the conventions of the Firm.
Her husband Mike Tindall, a former England rugby player, criticised politicians during his stint on I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! in 2022.
He labelled politicians “f*****s” as former Health Secretary Matt Hancock entered the jungle.
This prompted commentator Michael Cole to tell Good Morning Britain that “the Royal Family and politics do not mix”.
Zara and Mike wed in 2011 and have three children together – Mia, Lena and Lucas.
Zara has previously discussed the “mum guilt” she experienced getting back into shape after welcoming her children.
She said: “I found it hard to get back to it. Mentally, you feel guilty leaving your child to do something else.”