Pre-Wedding Events for Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall

The night before the wedding, the couple along with family members arrived at Edinburgh’s Canongate Kirk in a chauffeur-driven Jaguar this afternoon for a formal rehearsal ahead of tomorrow’s ceremony.

They were joined by  Princess Anne, Tim Laurence, Zara’s father, Captain Mark Phillips, his second wife, Sandy Pflueger, Peter and Autumn Phillips. Earlier, the bride had spent the day putting her own final touches in place. Zara spent the afternoon with sister-in-law Autumn Phillips at The Balmoral hotel where she is staying in Edinburgh’s city centre ahead of the tomorrow.

 

Zara, Mike and their guests spent the evening on The Royal Yacht Britannia, a true piece of royal history. The yacht was launched from Clydebank, Scotland on the 16th April 1953 and served Queen and country for another 44 years. During those 44 years, the Britannia ventured on 968 official voyages all around the world. The Britannia was the 83rd Royal Yacht, from a line that stretches all the way back to 1660. Shetravelled a total of 1,087,623 nautical miles, calling at over 600 ports in 135 countries.

In June 1994, the Government announced that Her Majesty’s Yacht Britannia would be taken out of service. At the beginning of January 1997, Britannia set sail from Portsmouth to Hong Kong on her last and longest voyage. On 11 December 1997 Britannia was decommissioned at Portsmouth Naval Base in the presence of The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh and 12 senior members of the Royal Family. Some 2,200 Royal Yacht Officers and Yachtsmen, together with their families, came to witness the ceremony.

Four months later, after intense competition from cities around the UK, the Government announced that Edinburgh had been successful in its bid to become her new home. She is now owned by The Royal Britannia Trust, a charitable organisation whose sole remit is the maintenance of Britannia in keeping with her former role. Britannia is now permanently moored in Edinburgh’s historic port of Leith and visitors can discover what life was like on board the ship for the Royal Family and crew.

Royal guests on the Britannia included HRH The Princess Royal, Vice Admiral Tim Laurence, Captain Mark Phillips and his second wife Sandy, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry, Princess Beatrice and perhaps surprisingly her long term boyfriend Dave Clark. Princess Eugenie, HRH The Earl and Countess of Wessex.

After the cocktail party on the Britannia, guests left around 8:30pm (GMT time) to a dinner held at The Palace of Holyroodhouse. Mike did not attend the event and instead, went to a party held by his friends.

Filed under The United Kingdom
Tagged Britannia, Mike Tindall, Scotland, Wedding, Yachts, Zara Tindall.

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