Kate and Wills Expected to be at Zara's Wedding

Zara and Mike's Relaxed Engagement Photo.

This weekend is game time for Zara Phillips as she marries her longtime boyfriend, Mike Tindall, in Scotland on Saturday. Zara is the daughter of Princess Anne and so the granddaughter of the Queen making this wedding a bit of a royal one!  As you may remember, when Zara's brother married in 2008 he was paid £ 500,000 by Hello Magazine for exclusive photo rights.  The hitch was that the Queen and senior members of the royal family were not informed that the wedding was being meticulously documented for public consumption in the glossy spread and therefore the magazine got happy poses and unguarded candid moments of some of the most sought after "photo-subjects" in the world.  After all, the much discussed but guarded royal girlfriend, Kate Middleton, was among the guests who attended the wedding.   

Unguarded photos from the exclusive royal wedding issue from 2008.

Although, she has supposedly said she doesn't understand the public's interest in her upcoming nuptials, it has been reported that Zara, a top level equestrian sportswoman, wanted to make the same deal with Hello for her big day.  With a little more foresight than her brother, she allegedly ran the idea by her grandmum, but the palace--this time in the loop--put the kibosh on the deal.  If the reports are true, you can understand why Zara, who holds no title and makes her own way in the world, would be comfortable brokering such a deal.  Since much of her life is already played out under the spotlight and much of her income is from promoting the products of her sponsors, this could be a more natural idea to her than to the rest of the royal family.  It is certainly our loss, but we will glean what we can from the weekend!  On the other hand, this could be just a story and Zara may have never sought the publicity in the first place. 

The wedding will take place at Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh.  The Queen has given the couple the use of her official residence in Scotland, Holyroodhouse Palace, for the reception.  The royal palace will be closed to the visiting public for around a week and Her Majesty will reimburse the Royal Collection £40,000 for the ticket sales they would have made if the palace were open to tourists.  Kate and William should be attending, so keep an eye out for the still shots!  Can't wait to see what both the Duchess of Cambridge AND the bride wear on July 30!