Zara Phillips hires Royal Britannia yacht for wedding party

The bride-to-be will host a cocktail party on the Royal Britannia yacht on the eve of her wedding.

Zara Phillips and England rugby captain Mike Tindall are holding a pre-wedding cocktail party for 150 of their closest friends onboard the iconic Royal Britannia yacht.

The couple, who first met in a Sydney bar during the 2003 Rugby World Cup after being introduced by Zara's cousin Prince Harry, are having a special cocktail reception on the eve of their wedding this week.

Zara, 30, will marry her rugby international fiancé, 32, at the Canongate Kirk on Edinburgh's Royal Mile this Saturday, before they head to the Palace for the reception.

The Queen, who publicly wept when the yacht was decommissioned in 1997, is determined the wedding will be a relatively private affair and forced the couple to turn down a £500,000 offer from Hello! magazine to photograph the event.

The yacht can be hired for private occasions and Miss Phillips has fond memories of her childhood onboard the Britannia, it has been reported. Good luck to the happy couple!

ZARA PHILLIPS A LIFE IN PICTURES

ZARA AND MIKES RELATIONSHIP IN PICTURES