Zara Phillips Gives Birth to a Baby Girl

Queen Elizabeth II's granddaughter and Mike Tindall welcomed their first daughter in England

By Zach Johnson Jan 17, 2014 12:41 PMTags
Zara Philips, Mike Tindall, Prince George John Stillwell - WPA Pool /Getty Images

The royal family said hello to a new member on Friday, Jan. 17, as Olympic equestrian Zara Phillips gave birth to a baby girl.

Queen Elizabeth II's granddaughter welcomed her first child at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital in England. Her former rugby captain husband, Mike Tindall, was present for the delivery.

"The Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Princess Royal, Captain Mark Phillips and Mike's parents, Mr. Phillip and Mrs. Linda Tindall, have been informed and are delighted with the news," the Queen's press secretary said in a statement. "The baby's name will be confirmed in due course."

The baby girl weighed 7 lbs., 12 oz. Phillips opted not to learn her baby's gender prior to giving birth.

"Many congratulations to Zara and Mike Tindall on the birth of their baby girl," Prime Minister David Cameron tweeted. The newborn is sixteenth in line for the British throne. The baby's silver medalist mother, meanwhile, does not hold a royal title and is not referred to as Her Royal Highness.

Phillips, 32, and Tindall, 35, met during England's Rugby World Cup-winning campaign in Australia in 2003. The new parents tied the knot at Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh, Scotland, in July 2011. Phillips' pregnancy was confirmed in July 2013, just a few weeks before Prince William and Kate Middleton gave birth to Prince George, who is third in line to the British throne.