Zara Marries Rugby Star Tindall

Zara Marries Rugby Star Tindall
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PRESS ASSOCIATION -- The Queen's granddaughter Zara Phillips has married England rugby star Mike Tindall in a simple private ceremony.

Away from the eyes of the public and waiting media, the couple exchanged wedding vows in Edinburgh's 17th century Canongate Kirk.

The ceremony was reserved for family and friends but hundreds of well-wishers filled the Scottish capital's famous cobbled Royal Mile to catch a glimpse of the spectacle.

After the ceremony the couple emerged arm in arm, stood on the steps to the entrance to the kirk and shared a kiss much to the delight of the crowd.

Zara, 30, married in a beautiful ivory silk gown by designer Stewart Parvin and shoes from Jimmy Choo. The crowd gave an enormous cheer as she arrived to reveal the ivory silk faille and silk duchess satin gown by the British and Edinburgh-trained designer.

Tindall, 32, along with his best man and fellow England player Iain Balshaw - who was sporting a black eye - opted for traditional morning dress, despite speculation Tindall might don a kilt.

The wedding reception is being held in the grounds of the Palace of Holyroodhouse - the official Scottish home of the Queen - which is just a few hundred metres from the kirk.

The royal had talked before the wedding of how she was looking forward to becoming Mrs Tindall but she will keep her maiden name and remain Zara Phillips.

Staged in the sparsely decorated Scottish church with no extravagant flourishes, the ceremony was far removed from the recent nuptials of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge which was a global televised event watched by hundreds of millions.

William and Kate's wedding day on April 29 attracted up to a million people to the centre of London while hundreds packed Edinburgh's narrow Royal Mile to get a glimpse of the happy couple.