Zara Phillips
As she enjoys a sunshine break in Sydney, Australia, OK! looks at the relationship between the fun-loving royal and her jockey boyfriend Richard Johnson

Feature by Anthony Crank
Photographs by Peter Carrette/Icon Images

She's often mistakenly referred to as the 'Rebel Royal' and, as Zara Phillips enjoys a well-deserved winter break in the blissful Sydney sunshine with her boyfriend Richard Johnson, it's clear that the fun-loving blonde continues to represent a much more approachable image of the royal family in the 21st century.

Whether Princess Anne's independence-loving daughter is frolicking in the sea wearing a skimpy bikini, chilling out at a beach-side cafe with a gaggle of friends or partaking in a brisk bike ride around beautiful Sydney Harbour with her smitten lover Richard in tow, Zara continues to shake off the formalities and stuffy image that have -- before now -- gone hand-in-hand with being a royal.

The besotted couple, who first met when Zara visited David Nicholson's prestigious stables in Gloucestershire, soon fell head-over-heels in love -- with Zara's lust for all things equine and her outgoing personality capturing the heart of the handsome 24-year-old jockey.

Indeed, it was this romantic coupling that prompted Zara's parents, HRH Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips, to grant the feisty 20-year-old permission to move out of the family home at Gatcombe Park and set up residence in a stable block approximately 100 yards away on the estate -- a move that gave both Zara and Richard the freedom to spend more time together as their relationship flourished.

Although Zara may have been able to move out of her parents' home, and into a new one in Toddington, she has so far been unable to move out of the media spotlight. Throughout their courtship, Zara and Richard have been subjected to near-constant media scrutiny, starting when they were first pictured together at various equestrian events. Zara herself has often courted controversy thanks to her forthright approach to living the royal life to the full but for National Hunt jockey Richard the whole thing has been a new experience.

Just days before her 16th birthday, for example, during her early days as a teenage boarder at the exclusive Scottish Highland academy Gordonstoun, Zara hit the headlines after school heads caught her sneaking into the boys' dormitories with two friends. And it was only a year later that Zara shocked the world by becoming the first royal to get her tongue pierced. Choosing her uncle Prince Charles's 50th birthday celebrations to unveil the trendy accessory to the rest of the Royals, the response was not what Zara expected. Her mother, Princess Anne, instructed family members and staff to simply ignore Zara's latest style statement and when Zara would try to strike up a conversation with her mother, Princess Anne simply claimed that she couldn't understand a word her daughter was saying!

It was the arrival of Richard, though, that saw the demise of Zara's tongue piercing. After Richard remarked that he couldn't think of 'anything worse -- it's disgusting', Zara dutifully complied with her boyfriend's wishes and removed the stud.

But, as the happy couple continue to enjoy their ever-burgeoning relationship, it's clear that the entertaining Zara has joined the ranks of Princes William and Harry and given the often staid royal clan a much-needed zest of colour not seen since the days of the late Diana, Princess of Wales.

OK! magazine Issue 299 January 22, 2002 pp 20-22.

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Whether she's enjoying a romantic break away in Sydney with her smitten boyfriend Richard Johnson or having her tongue pierced in Scotland, Princess Anne's daughter Zara Phillips always seems to be in the public eye. And now the fun-loving 20 year old is being credited with bringing a much-needed zest to the royal family which some say hasn't been seen since the days of the late Diana, Princess of Wales.

Zara has always been known to court controversy -- not least when she became the first member of the royal family to get her tongue pierced. Princess Anne is said to have told her relatives to simply ignore the new accessory while she herself pretended to misunderstand everything her daughter said. Zara's beloved Richard remarked: "I can't think of anything worse -- it's disgusting." Needless to say, the stud was promptly removed!

So what's next for the young love birds? The couple certainly have the blessing of Zara's parents, who gave permission for the independent royal to move out of the family home and into a house on the estate, allowing her to see more of Richard.