Zara Tindall was a typical teenager – even if her grandmother is the Queen and her mum is the notoriously strict Princess Anne, as she showed when she got a body piercing
Teenagers are renowned for testing their limits – and young royals are no different. Back in 1998, a then 17-year-old Zara Tindall made headlines when she got her tongue pierced, an act of rebellion that had parents of teenagers everywhere know all too well.
She mustered the courage to get the piercing while studying at Gordonstoun, the Scottish boarding school attended by many members of the Royal Family. But her small act of rebellion did not go unnoticed by the other royals. Zara was first spotted sporting a silver stud in her tongue at her uncle King Charles’s 50th birthday bash. You can only imagine the reaction when she showed off her new oral accessory to her mother, straight-talking no-nonsense Princess Anne.
However, thanks to a resurfaced interview with Zara, now 43, the public can get a glimpse into the Princess Royal’s typically straightforward response to any situation. Including when her daughter is pushing royal protocol.
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In a 2011 chat with Tatler magazine, Zara quipped: “At least I didn’t have it coming out of my nose, or anything.” Reports also suggested that the Princess Royal was not shocked by Zara’s daring new look, simply asking if her daughter could still speak properly with the piercing, the Express reports.
Former Royal butler, Grant Harrold, recalled how Zara’s new style statement left a lasting impression on him. He shared: “She was the very first royal I met. In Scotland I was working and it was the weekend.” He added: “It was all in the press that she had her tongue pierced and it was so exciting because when she was speaking to us, I suddenly saw the tongue piercing and I was like ‘Oh, I’ve seen it’.”
Princess Anne is on the mend after an incident believed to involve a kick or headbutt from a horse at her Gatcombe Park estate in Gloucestershire. In a statement, Buckingham Palace confirmed: “The Princess Royal has sustained minor injuries and concussion following an incident on the Gatcombe Park estate yesterday evening.”
They added: “Her Royal Highness remains in Southmead Hospital, Bristol, as a precautionary measure for observation and is expected to make a full and swift recovery. The King has been kept closely informed and joins the whole Royal Family in sending his fondest love and well-wishes to The Princess for a speedy recovery.”
