Princess Eugenie, Prince William, Kate Middleton and more were on hand when Zara won a medal at the 2012 London Olympics
Princess Eugenie is giving a shout-out to her medal-winning cousin Zara Tindall amid the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
On July 29, Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson’s youngest daughter shared throwback photos on Instagram with her mother and sister Princess Beatrice at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. The mix of pictures shows Princess Eugenie, 34, watching various events in the stands with her family, and it is capped with a special message for Zara, who competed as an equestrian.
“The Olympics is one of the best things in our world,” Princess Eugenie captioned the carousel.. “It’s such a special time watching superhuman athletes represent their countries, bringing people together and inspiring generations.”
“Some of my most favourite memories from 2012 was being on the sidelines cheering on our heroes. Not to mention, the best moment of all, watching my family win silver in eventing, goooo Z!,” she added, revealing a nickname for her professional equestrian cousin.
The royal cousins have stepped out at several festive social events together this summer, from Prince William’s Buckingham Palace garden party in late May to the Royal Ascot in June, where they perhaps coordinated their outfits in complementary colors.
Zara, 43, famously followed in the footsteps of her parents Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips (who divorced in 1992) to compete for Team Great Britain in the discipline of three-day eventing (individual and team!) in 2012. Her cousins Princess Eugenie, Princess Beatrice, Prince Harry, along with the newlywed Prince William and Kate Middleton, were there to support her and wildly celebrated when she won the silver with her teammates.
In a touching twist, Zara received her medal from her mother, the Princess Royal. Queen Elizabeth’s daughter made modern royal history when she competed for Team Great Britain in the equestrian events at the Montreal Summer Olympics in 1976, becoming the first member of the British royal family to participate in the international competition. Princess Anne, 73, has stayed connected to the Olympics for years, serving as the President of the British Olympic Association since 1983 and getting involved with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1992.
A love of horses runs deep in the royal family, and late matriarch Queen Elizabeth was a great horsewoman. Last year, Zara told PEOPLE that her happiest family memories around horses are all about that bond.
“I think just the passion and love for horses that’s been passed down through our family. We’re very lucky to have them in our lives. Being able to do it every day is incredible and it’s such an amazing sport,” Zara told PEOPLE at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by MARS Equestrian.
“Any equestrian sport, that partnership between the horse and rider, or an owner and the horse is, it’s incredible. We’re very lucky to work with horses,” she added.
Though Vogue Australia reported in 2022 that the pro rider was training for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, she wasn’t ultimately on the roster. However, it was significant to see Princess Anne travel to France for an IOC kickoff meeting before the Olympics began on July 26 as it marked her first work trip outside of the U.K. after she was injured in a horse-related “incident” at home.
On June 24, Buckingham Palace announced that King Charles’ sister sustained a concussion and minor injuries in an accident at her Gatcombe Park home the day prior, and was subsequently hospitalized. The exact details of the accident are unable to be ascertained because of the concussion that the Princess Royal sustained. However, her injuries were consistent with a potential impact from a horse’s head or legs.
Princess Anne left the hospital on June 28 and returned to royal duties on July 12 with an equestrian-related engagement. Anne made her comeback with a visit to the Riding for the Disabled Association National Championships in Gloucestershire, and flew to France ten days later — rising to her reputation as the “hardest-working” member of the royal family by count of official engagements,
The Princess Royal presented prizes to the British equestrian eventing team after they won gold on July 29, and watched the men’s hockey match between Britain and Holland on July 30 with her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence.
