Princess Anne, Princess Royal undoubtedly has a close relationship with her daughter, Zara Tindall. But it only came about due to a controversial decision on the royal's part.
Many have questioned why Tindall and her older brother Peter Phillips were not given titles at birth, while their cousins have been granted the privilege.
It all came down to a centuries-old royal rule.
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Why Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips don't have royal titles
At the time that Princess Anne and her former husband, Captain Mark Phillips welcomed Tindall 43 years ago, the rule stated that titles can only be passed down through fathers.
Captain Mark Phillips did not have a title, though the late Queen Elizabeth II did offer him an earldom when he wed her daughter (as is custom), which he declined.
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Zara Tindall's best moments in pictures View Gallery
This resulted in Tindall (and Peter, 46) not inheriting any titles when they were born. The Queen again offered to give her grandchildren titles as a courtesy, though this time Anne declined.
She spoke on the decision only recently, telling Vanity Fair in 2020, "I think it was probably easier for them, and I think most people would argue that there are downsides to having titles... So I think that was probably the right thing to do."
Tindall, who was born sixth in line for the throne and is now 21st in line, says she is thankful for her mother's decision.
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"From my point of view I was very lucky that my mother didn't give us any titles, so I really commend her on that," she said on the Seven Rob Burrows: The Total Sport Podcast
"We were very lucky that we kind of got to do it a bit our own way. My family has a great work ethic as well, which I'm hoping they instilled in me and is still going to this day and hopefully we can pass onto our kids."
Zara Tindall's childhood with Princess Anne
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Tindall's freedom allowed her to do things that many other royals couldn't get away with.
When she was 17, the rebellious teen boldly debuted a tongue piercing at her uncle – the then-Prince Charles' 50th birthday bash.
Past photos show the royal with her blonde hair cropped short, sticking her tongue out as she laughed, showing her piercing which she had gotten at a tattoo parlour close to her boarding school, the Gordonstoun School in Moray, Scotland.
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Far from showing any rage, Anne – who has a reputation for being tough and no-nonsense – simply asked her daughter whether she was still able to speak.
In a 2011 interview, Tindall vehemently denied the "royal rebel" moniker that came from this incident. "At least I didn't have it coming out of my nose, or anything," she jokingly told Tatler.
Tindall's freedom also allowed her to forge her path to Olympic success, inadvertently following directly in her mother's footsteps. Tindall is a star equestrian, earning a silver medal at the 2012 Olympics, where she competed in the three-day event as part of Britain's equestrian team.
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Princess Anne wears 45-year-old dress View Gallery
Her mother was the first member of the Royal Family to have competed in the Olympic Games, riding the late Queen Elizabeth's horse, Goodwill, in the same equestrian three-day event as her daughter, at the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games.
Their shared love of horse riding continues through the generations, with Tindall's children (who she shares with husband Mike Tindall), spending Sundays at their grandmother's house.
In an interview for an ITV documentary celebrating Anne's 70th birthday, her son Peter said, "She loves seeing them ride, she loves having them around for Sunday lunches, doing all the sorts of stuff we used to do as kids. She now takes them to do this sort of thing."
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"We quite like leaving them on Sundays. We'll say 'We'll pick them up later, bye'," Tindall added jokingly.
In the same interview, the siblings poked fun at their mother, detailing her "annoying" habit.
"She's like a sponge, it's unbelievable, the information that's stored in her brain. It's incredible. Quite annoying, as well," said Tindall. Peter quipped, "It is quite annoying, yes!"
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All jokes aside, Tindall shows deep respect for her mother, even naming her as her "role model" .
During an interview for Musto Clothing, the royal said her mother allowing her freedom during her childhood helped her become a well-rounded adult.
"I definitely remember having a lot of fun and being able to experience a lot of things ...Whether it was the horses or sailing or traveling or the people we met along the way, I was very lucky to meet incredible people which then you learn more from as you go along through life," she said,
"I'm very lucky that my parents were able to do that for us or whatever they were involved in."
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