Queen Elizabeth II's Granddaughter Zara Tindall Suffers Miscarriage

Zara Tindall, Queen Elizabeth II's granddaughter, has suffered a miscarriage while pregnant with her and husband Mike Tindall's second baby, a spokesperson for the couple said Saturday, Christmas Eve.

The two had announced her pregnancy three weeks ago, saying they were set to welcome their new child in the spring. The baby was to be the queen's sixth great-grandchild.

"Very sadly, Zara and Mike Tindall have lost their baby," the couple's spokesperson said in a statement. "At this difficult time, we ask that everyone respects their privacy."

Buckingham Palace declined to comment on a private matter.

Zara, a 35-year-old champion equestrian who made her Olympic debut at the 2012 London Games, and Mike, a 38-year-old former England rugby player, were last seen in public Tuesday, in a car en route to a Christmas lunch the queen hosted for her Royal family members at Buckingham Palace in London.

Zara and Mike have been married since 2011 and share daughter Mia Grace Tindall, 2.

Zara is 16th in line to the British throne. Her mother is Anne, Princess Royal, the queen's daughter and second of her four children. Anne's older brother is Prince Charles, William and Harry's father and first in line to the throne.