Royal double act! Isla Phillips channels Zara Tindall at Cheltenham

She is one of the lesser-known young royals, having been mostly kept out of the spotlight by her conscientious parents.

But 13-year-old Isla Phillips, youngest daughter of Peter Phillips, bears a striking resemblance to her aunt, Zara Tindall, and could soon emerge as a leading royal figure as we look towards the next generation of the ever-evolving Monarchy.

On New Year’s Day, royal fans caught a rare glimpse of Isla, whom Peter shares with his ex-partner Autumn Kelly, when she celebrated the New Year at Cheltenham races with several other members of The Royal Family.

Joined by her 15-year-old sister Savannah, alongside Peter and his fiancée Harriet Sperling, Zara and Mike Tindall were also present at the event alongside their three children: Mia, 11, Lena, seven, and Lucas, four.

Striking photos showed Isla huddled in a checkered warm scarf with her long blonde hair braided into plaits as she watched on from the stands with her family. For many onlookers, it was like seeing double – with Isla the spitting image of her aunt Zara, 44. 

From their gorgeous light hair to their piercing blue eyes, their similarities go back as far as childhood, with the pair sharing similar facial features and an adorable bright smile. 

Acknowledging the similarities between Isla and her aunt, and even a resemblance with her 75-year-old grandmother Anne, one royal fan commented: ‘Isla reminds me of a young Princess Anne. She also resembles her Aunt Zara’.

Meanwhile, another observer added: ‘Beautiful children, Isla looks like Auntie Zara!’ 

Isla was born at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital on March 29 2012, weighing 7lbs 4oz. A statement released by the Palace at the time expressed how the entire Royal Family were ‘delighted’ by the arrival of a second great-grandchild for Elizabeth and Philip.

Given the adorable young royal was born during the Queen’s milestone Jubilee year it seems somewhat unsurprising that her second name is Elizabeth – a fitting tribute to her beloved great-grandmother. 

She is 20th in line to the throne and, as a result, has been able to enjoy being a member of the extended royal family without managing the pressures of royal duties. 

Like her aunt Zara, Isla also does not not have a royal title due to her grandmother, The Princess Royal’s decision to deny the late Queen’s request for her two children to be bestowed with a HRH title.

Living on Anne’s 700-acre Gatcombe Park Estate, Isla and Savannah are in close proximity to their Tindall cousins, and the two sisters are said to have developed a particularly close bond with Zara’s eldest daughter, Mia. 

Indicative of their close bond, at the Cheltenham races, Isla and Mia were pictured sharing a laugh together in the stands, as the cousins observed the equestrian action on the first day of 2026. 

The trio have also often been pictured causing a degree of mischief and mayhem to royal engagements. 

At Trooping The Colour in 2018, Savannah’s antics stole the show when she humorously shushed her cousin Prince George while on Buckingham Palace balcony during the fly-past.

Alongside her striking resemblance to Zara, Isla has also been previously noted for her similarity to her great -grandfather, Prince Philip, particularly at King Charles’s coronation concert in 2023. 

At the time, one royal observer highlighted the likeness between Isla and her great-grandfather in an Instagram post that read: ‘Isla Phillips (Peter Phillips’ daughter) and Prince Philip (her great-grandfather). I can definitely see a resemblance.’

Fellow royal fans agreed with the comparison, with one person writing at the time: ‘Yes agree, the cheekbones the nose and the mouth.’

‘Wow, those genetics from her great-grandfather,’ another said.

While the pair are growing up out of the spotlight, Isla and Savannah are recognisable from their increased attendance at milestone royal events such as the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022.

Isla was also present for the late Queen’s historic funeral in September that year, dressed in a riding crop and stirrup brooch in a subtle tribute to Her Majesty’s love of riding. 

Her parents, Peter and Autumn, wed in 2008 in a fairytale ceremony at Windsor Castle after meeting five years earlier at the Montreal Grand Prix.

However, the couple separated in 2020 on amicable terms, declaring at the time that the decision to go their separate ways was ‘the best course of action for their two children and ongoing friendship’.