'Our royal wedding will be different'

London - Prince William's marriage to Kate Middleton was watched by billions around the world but second British royal wedding of the year will be much more down-to-earth.

Queen Elizabeth II's eldest grand-daughter Zara Phillips and her fiance Mike Tindall, the England rugby union veteran, are to marry in a private ceremony at Edinburgh's Canongate Kirk on Saturday. The pair, both world-beating sports stars, have planned a wedding that combines their low-key style with just the right amount of regal splendour.

All the senior royals are expected to attend - William and Kate included - and the reception will be held at the nearby Palace of Holyroodhouse, the queen's official residence in Scotland.

A lot smaller

Phillips, 30, the younger child of the queen's only daughter Princess Anne, is a former eventing world champion and 13th in line to the throne. Tindall, 32, played in England's 2003 World Cup-winning team and captained the side in their victorious 2011 Six Nations campaign.

The wedding comes almost exactly three months after Phillips' cousin William, second in line, tied the knot on April 29, with a million people lining the streets of London and an estimated two billion more watching on television.

"My wedding will be nothing like Kate and William's," Phillips told The People newspaper. "For a start, there won't be anywhere near as many people. It will be a lot smaller, just close family and friends. Kate and William's wedding was amazing but ours will be very different."