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Zara Phillips: A Revealing Portrait of a Royal World Champion

Review by Rachel Twine

5 November, 2007

HORSE Magazine reviews Book review: Zara Phillips: A Revealing Portrait of a Royal World Champion by Brian Hoey

Following her European and world eventing championship triumphs, Zara Phillips has been thrust into the limelight still further than she already was, as 11th in line to the throne. This hardback book, written by the official biographer of Zara’s mother, Princess Anne, takes us right from Zara’s birth up until the present day, and offers privileged insights into life behind the scenes as a member of the royal family.

I found this a well-written, capturing read, perhaps due to the curiosity of human nature – while her sporting achievements cannot and should not be ignored, Zara’s life story is slightly more entertaining than that of the average three-day event rider, purely because she moves in circles that most will never experience. The fact that she does so with her feet firmly on the ground comes across in this book.

While reading, I did find myself wishing that Zara was interviewed more herself specifically for this project – there are quotes from her, but there are more from those around her. Should a book such as that ever be published, I’m sure it would sell well.

Published by Virgin Books, ISBN 1905264046

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