Prince William‘s trusted inner circle might be small, but one name keeps rising to the top — and it’s his cousin Zara Tindall.
The 44-year-old daughter of Princess Anne has never held a royal title or drawn a salary from the Crown, but she has long been one of William’s most trusted allies.
She once again showed her support for William when she stepped out beside him and Princess Kate at their first garden party of the year, and their first in nearly two years!
Despite not being a working royal herself, she attended alongside Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie, proving she is as close as ever with the future King.
But could her appearance hint at something more? Our insiders say so!
Sources exclusively tell New Idea that Zara is preparing for a significantly expanded role when William eventually takes the throne, and the groundwork is already being laid.
“After Harry and Andrew, William understands completely the importance of having trust — and Zara, along with her husband Mike, are definitely in that category,” a source exclusively tells New Idea.
“It’s no secret William has plans for Zara when he takes over and already there’s been talk of her taking on patronage of the royal stud at Sandringham, plus some oversight of royal racing interests at events like Ascot and Cheltenham.
“It makes complete sense as William’s nowhere near as enthusiastic about equestrian pursuits like his grandmother was, so delegating this entirely to Zara is a brilliant plan. This new role plays into Zara’s strengths as an Olympic silver-medal equestrian.”
It is a role tailor-made for her. Zara is one of Britain’s most celebrated equestrians, having won a silver medal at the 2012 London Olympics.
Her passion for horses and racing is genuine — and that, insiders say, is precisely the point.
“Zara is not a working royal and has never received a salary or official title from the Crown, but she’s always been close to Wills — even more so since the family shrunk,” the source tells New Idea.
“Her attending Kate and Will’s very important garden party debut is another sign of her continuing public support.”
“William is looking for reliable reinforcements he can trust, and Zara — who’s loyal, popular and genuinely passionate about horses — is the perfect fit for a prestigious role that plays to her strengths without forcing her into full-time royal duties.”
As New Idea reported last year, Zara has been preparing to increase her royal duties for some time. And it appears that preparation is now very much paying off.
Zara has proven herself to be a rock to all sides of the royal family, giving advice to her younger cousin Princess Eugenie before she announced her third pregnancy at a time when her family is very much under the spotlight.
Zara, one of the few people trusted with the special news early on, encouraged her cousin to reach out to King Charles directly to share the news with him first.
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