Very real reason why Zara and Mike Tindall didn’t sit with Queen Camilla at Wimbledon

It's hardly a surprise to see Royal Family members Zara and Mike Tindall at high-profile sporting events.

After all, the daughter of Princess Anne is an award-winning Olympic equestrian, and her husband is an ex-rugby professional.

This week, however, spectators attending Wimbledon found themselves confused after observing the loved-up couple sitting apart from other members of the monarchy during a Centre Court game this week.

Whilst Zara's auntie-in-law Queen Camilla - wife of her uncle King Charles III - was also attending the high-society tennis match on Wednesday 10 July, the trio sat apart, sparking rumours of a Royal rift.

Camilla, 76, was joined by Zara's older brother Peter Phillips, as well as his new girlfriend Harriet Sperling, inside the London grounds' Royal box.

The VIP box - commonly reserved for members of the institution - is invite-only, with only the biggest and most important non-Royals ever welcomed to take a seat in one of the 74 luxury chairs.

Heads of government are often invited to sit with the attending monarchy, as are tennis world figures, commercial partners, British armed forces, prominent media organisations, and supporters of British tennis.

Queen Camilla sat in the Royal box. (HENRY NICHOLLS/AFP via Getty Images)

Across the green this week, however, were the Tindalls, surrounded by several other sport-loving big-name stars.

Apparently, however, the seemingly awkward separation between the Royals wasn't to do with a spat behind-the-scenes, but one of Zara's highbrow responsibilities.

It turns out that, amongst the several brands that 43-year-old mother-of-three Zara works with as part of her 'lesser Royal' duties, is Rolex.

And being that the famous watch-making firm is a long-standing partner of the UK tennis championships, they'd invited Zara along as their exclusive guest.

Zara was made a sponsor of the brand back in 2006, following her success during the World Equestrian Games in Aachen, at which she won a gold medal.

The Tindalls were sat with other representatives of Rolex. (Karwai Tang/WireImage/Getty Images)

In the years prior, the minor Royal - who is 21st in line to the throne - had forged quite the reputation for herself in the realms of horse-riding - even winning Silver at the London 2012 Olympics - in turn, following in the footsteps of her mother, the Princess Royal.

As such, the prestigious ambassadorship was placed upon her, for which she has since received regular payments.

And being that she'd not permitted to make money off her family's minor Royal status, she must be sat separately from members of her family at such high-class sporting events, at which Rolex are sponsors.