Zara bumps into her ex

Zara Phillips met her ex-boyfriend Richard Johnson at a charity race day ? and no, it did not really look as if they were enjoying a touching reunion.

One could have been forgiven for thinking that both of them would rather have been anywhere other than a marquee at Hereford racecourse.

Johnson in particular looked like a man who was praying the earth would open up and swallow him (come to that, Ms Phillips did not give the impression that she would be unduly upset if that were to happen).

It has only been a couple of months since Princess Anne?s 21-year- old daughter left the Gloucestershire home she shared with Johnson, 25, and that period of time certainly does not seem to have been long enough to heal whatever wounds were inflicted in their acrimonious break-up.

So when they came across each other yesterday, they proved masters of the art of how to stand two feet away from someone without actually looking them in the eye. Or indeed acknowledging their presence at all.

Ms Phillips has, perhaps, plenty to be upset about. When they split up it was said to be on account of the jockey?s relationship with Louise O?Neill, the beautiful daughter of Irish racehorse trainer and former champion jockey Jonjo O?Neill. He is also said to have been including details of his relationship with the Queen?s granddaughter in his autobiography.

One of her friends was quoted as saying: ?Zara can?t believe he?d be party to something so low.? Two weeks ago Johnson broke his leg in a fall. Perhaps if he had not been on crutches yesterday he would have made a swifter exit.