The Festival of British Eventing has been a staple in the country’s equestrian calendar ever since Princess Anne and her first husband, Captain Mark Phillips, founded it back in 1983. But now, it seems, the royals ’ Festival has been closed for good, as Peter Phillips, who is serving as the event director, has moved to dissolve the company that organises it, a year after the Festival was cancelled.

As revealed by Richard Eden, Princess Anne’s son has applied to put the company into dissolution, with the signs suggesting that the great and gilded of British eventing – including, of course, Zara Tindall – will no longer be making their way to Gatcombe Park to celebrate the Festival.

In 2023, the final day of the Festival was closed due to bad weather at Gatcombe, Princess Anne’s esta

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