Throwback Pics Prove Zara Tindall Was The Queen Of Early Aughts Style

While the royal family is known for its rigid fashion rules, some members manage to shirk convention and jump on the latest trends. Some, like Meghan Markle, prove that they're free from royal style rules with stylish but borderline inappropriate 'fits. But others manage to fly under the radar — like Zara Tindall (née Phillips), the daughter of Princess Anne. Thanks to her mother's foresight, Tindall was not given a title at birth by Queen Elizabeth; this enabled the young royal to live a life unimpeded by royal expectations. But Tindall's unique royal status (or lack thereof) is on display most clearly in her early 2000s wardrobe. 

While Tindall's sense of style has now matured into something more classic and conservative, throughout the early aughts, she regularly attended public events in ultra-trendy outfits — some of which might have been deemed inappropriate by royal rules. Nevertheless, Tindall's old 'fits provide some pretty solid Y2K style inspiration. Not only were her looks on-trend for the time period, but many of her favored accessories have come back into style over the past few years. Tindall definitely reigned supreme as the royal family fashionista of the 2000s. 

Some of Zara Tindall's best Y2K looks come from her appearances at the Cheltenham National Hunt Festival in the 2000s. In 2005, Tindall attended the first day of the festivities alongside future husband Mike Tindall; she wore a black peacoat, black striped tights, a newsboy cap, and knee-high boots. Every piece in Tindall's ensemble is on-trend for the aughts; knee-high boots were one of the biggest shoe trends of the decade, and her double-breasted peacoat was a staple in 2000s winter fashion.

Zara Tindall's 2000s Christmas Day looks were a sight to behold. In 2003, Tindall attended the royal family's annual Christmas Day church service in a white peacoat and brown turtleneck sweater, which she paired with brown studded boots, a brown newsboy cap, and an animal print purse. Animal print was huge in the aughts; while animal prints are a great neutral, tan-colored hides coordinate spectacularly with brown. As such Tindall's animal print handbag went perfectly with her subtly edgy chocolate brown studded boots.

In another of Zara Tindall's iconic 2000s Annual National Hunt Festival outfits, the royal's 2003 look was all-brown ensemble. Tindall wore a fur-cuffed Afghan coat, wide-legged trousers, and a newsboy cap; while all three of Tindall's pieces were trendy, the Afghan coat had a particularly massive impact. The stylish coat was brought from Afghanistan to England in the early 1970s, becoming a staple in the hippie movement. Thanks to public figures like Tindall leading the '70s fashion revival, it regained its popularity in the aughts.

One of Zara Tindall's most interesting 2000s fashion choices came from the royal family's traditional Christmas Day church service in 2004. Tindall attended the service in a long, fur-lined white coat, which she paired with brown gloves and a matching cowboy hat. Western boho was a staple style of the 2000s; Tindall choosing to stay true to her trendy fashion sense even at a very traditional royal function is admirable. 

On day two of the Annual National Hunt Festival in 2005, Zara Tindall sported yet another fantastic early aughts outfit. Tindall recycled her stylish black striped tights and knee-high boots from the first day of the festivities, but swapped out her black peacoat for a tan suede and fur button-up coat. Tindall paired the coat with a matching tan newsboy cap, which were very on-trend in the early 2000s. 

When King Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles were married in 2005, Zara Tindall was one of the most fashion-forward guests. While her look may seem a bit dated today (and certainly broke the "no garish patterns" dress code enforced at some of the biggest modern royal weddings), she was certainly on-trend at the time; Tindall paired a colorful button-up dress with black heeled boots and a fedora. As with many of Tindall's other early aughts outfits, she incorporated suede into her look — this time, through her footwear. 

Shield sunglasses were all the rage in the early 2000s, so of course the trendy Zara Tindall was spotted wearing them. After leaving a show during London Fashion Week in 2003, Tindall was photographed in brown shield-style shades, as well as a chocolate suede jacket embellished with silver and brass grommets. Metal grommets became a popular decorative element in clothing of the '70s and '80s for their rebellious vibe, and re-emerged in the 2000s for the same reason; this jacket fit perfectly on a style rebel like Tindall.