A British equestrian, who has been in the company of Princess Anne and her daughter Zara Tindall, has revealed what they are truly like. Laura Collett has encountered the Princess Royal at numerous events on the equestrian circuit. In 2022, she experienced a more personal moment with King Charles III's sister when Anne presented her with an MBE.

"It was one of those surreal moments because she started chatting [to me] like a friendly face," Laura, 36, said of the royal, who competed at the 1976 Summer Olympics. "It was nice because we have something in common," she added in an interview with Hello! magazine.

Discussing Zara, with whom she has been teammates and competed at events, Laura maintained she is refreshingly down to earth. "She's so normal, we forget she's a royal... she's so lovely," she said.

Zara is married to former rugby star Mike Tindall, and the pair have three children together. In a rare candid moment, she recently discussed the realities of family life.

"Every day there is a different dilemma or problem, but it is incredible and I do look at myself differently," she said, according to Bella magazine.

"My personality is coming out in the kids and there are some parts that you love and some that you don't like - and obviously some of Mike's as well. There is never a dull moment."

She also discussed the significance of imparting shared values to their children. "You hopefully instil in them the values that you hold and, from both of us, what we have learned from our careers, hard work, dedication, motivation, lessons and respect," she added.

"It is so easy to be distracted from that kind of thing, so we try every day to make sure they get the same values that we had."

As for Princess Anne, she was recently placed third in a 2026 poll focused on royal popularity. Chosen by the public, many Britons are believed to appreciate her famously "no-fuss" attitude to duty, alongside her dry sense of humour and quick wit.

She is also regularly described as the hardest-working member of the Royal Family, undertaking hundreds of engagements each year both domestically and abroad.

Furthermore, the 75-year-old is believed to be among King Charles' most trusted confidantes. In a documentary commemorating his 2023 coronation, she was heard affectionately calling him an "old bean".

According to a royal aide, Anne is broadly viewed as someone the King relies upon for candid counsel in both personal and professional matters.

She told Woman's Day magazine: "Anne was given a starring role as the King's Gold Stick-in-Waiting at his coronation and was seen greeting newly-crowned Charles back at Buckingham Palace with the words 'Hello, old bean'.

"Camilla might be the love of his life, but Anne's his greatest and most reliable confidante. She's the one who can tell him uncomfortable truths and keep him grounded."