Zara Phillips, granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth, and her husband Mike Tindall welcomed their baby girl into the world on Friday. Until the baby was born, they had no idea if they were having a boy or a girl. This is the fourth great-grandchild for the queen, and will definitely provide a playmate for Prince George–son of Kate Middleton and Prince William.

What a difference royal rank makes. Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall both arrived at and left the hospital following the birth of their daughter–whose name has yet to be announced–without any of the fanfare that surrounded Kate Middleton and Prince William when Prince George was born.

Zara Phillips is an accomplished equestrian. She competed in and won a silver medal in the 2012 Olympics. She is the daughter of Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips. Zara was named by her cousin Prince William as one of baby Prince George’s godmothers during his christening ceremony back in October.

Zara and Mike’s baby is only 16th in line to the British throne, so it’s a bit unlikely that she will ever be queen, however it will definitely be an interesting and no doubt privileged life growing up as a royal.

It will be interesting to see if Zara employs the aid of a nanny for raising their baby girl–something Kate Middleton and Prince William have vehemently opposed–at least not on a full time basis. Will Zara Phillips follow her cousin and his wife in their determined ways of gently defying how the royals have lived their lives for centuries?

And how long do you suppose it might be before Zara is back in the saddle again–riding her beloved horses in the equestrian ring? She will no doubt one day train her daughter to love horses, too.

Image via Wikimedia Commons