Zara Tindall’s right hand! How an NHS midwife who saved the king’s niece from heartbreak (and helped deliver her son) became indispensable to the royal family

Princess Anne’s soon-to-be maid of honor has been closely associated with the royal family for years, most notably as a close friend (and bridesmaid) of Zara Tindall.

A trusted confidant described by friends as ‘very loyal and discreet’, who is the NHS midwife who has become indispensable to the royal family?

Dolly Maude, 51, famously helped deliver Zara’s third child Lucas on a bathroom floor when her 2021 birth plan went awry, and has been a close friend of the King’s niece for more than two decades.

With a shared love of horses, Dolly and Zara quickly grew close and briefly lived together in 2003 after the royal family’s relationship with her fiancé Richard Johnson ended.

Zara and the jockey dated back to 1998 and lived together in the Cotswolds, leaving the Princess Royal’s daughter in desperate need of a place to call home.

Luckily, her friend Dolly was there to give her a place to stay – and a shoulder to cry on – until she found her feet after the heartbreak.

The pair remained close when Zara and former rugby union player Mike Tindall’s friendship blossomed into a romance just months later in 2004.

Dolly was a bridesmaid at Zara and Mike’s wedding in 2011, and was present at the birth of all three of their children: Mia, 9, Lena, 5, and two-year-old Lucas.

The former England rugby player has even described Dolly as ‘more important than me’, given her role in assisting Zara as she went into labor with her son Lucas at their Gatcombe Park home.

The now two-year-old had arrived so quickly that Zara and Mike couldn’t make it to the hospital, and Dolly helped deliver their son on the bathroom floor of their home.

It makes sense that Zara would have Dolly on speed dial for the birth of her children, as she worked as a maternity nurse for the NHS in Gloucestershire for 13 years.

Dolly also spent a month working in the maternity ward of a hospital in Kambia, Sierra Leone, as part of the Kambia Appeal in 2013, teaching staff basic nursing and theater skills.

Like Zara, who was awarded an MBE in 2007 for services to equestrian sports and won a silver medal at the 2012 Olympics as a member of the Great Britain Eventing Team, Dolly loves horses.

Before becoming a midwife, Dolly ran Dolly Maude Equine Ltd, a company that rehabilitated injured racehorses with the aim of getting them back on the racecourse. It also provided young thoroughbreds and trained point-to-pointers.

Photos on her social media pages suggest she too is no stranger to competing in equine events, including dressage and cross country.

She is married to Chris Maude, 52, a former jump jockey turned master valet, who has a farming background and grew up in the Hatherleigh area of ​​Devon.

His successes in the saddle include victories over the Grand National fences on Indian Tonic (twice) and Young Hustler, as well as the 1997 Tote Gold Trophy on Make A Stand, the 1995 Mildmay-Cazalet Chase on Deep Bramble and the 1998 Greenalls Chase .on Dom Samourai.

Dolly has four children with husband Chris: Billy, 26, Nell, 24, Ted, 17 – who was a page boy at the Tindalls and is Zara’s goddaughter – and Mary, 15.

It’s unknown how Dolly and Zara met, although it was likely through equestrianism – and it seems that Dolly gave her friend a few tips when it comes to training horses.

In 2008, as Zara prepared to saddle her first runner as a trainer, Dolly told Horse and Hound: ‘Zara does absolutely everything with him. She drives him out every day and teaches him – the whole thing depends on her. She did a fantastic job because he is quirky, but she made him very happy.”

With her close ties to the royal family, it may come as no surprise that Princess Anne has chosen Dolly to be her lady-in-waiting.

Last January, Dolly showed up at Cheltenham Racecourse with her best friend, wearing a badge with the words ‘Lady in Waiting’.

A royal spokesperson later had to clarify that this was actually a joke.

But now the midwife is given an official role under Princess Anne, The Telegraph has revealed.

One of Dolly’s friends said: ‘It’s a perfect fit for the Princess Royal because of their shared love of dogs and horses.

‘Not only does she have a very good bond with Zara, she also gets along very well with the princess. She is very loyal and discreet. It’s a great match.’

Buckingham Palace is expected to announce the appointment in the Court Circular on February 1, when Dolly will be unveiled as one of four newly appointed ladies-in-waiting to the king’s sister, replacing others who have retired.

A maid of honor is traditionally the wife or daughter of a colleague, but can also be a cousin or close friend.

They act as a companion on royal engagements and assist in their daily duties.