Nov 6, 2009, 11:42 GMT
Britain's Zara Phillips has lost her £90,000-a-year sponsorship deal with the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS).
Zara - Queen Elizabeth's granddaughter - has been dropped as "brand ambassador" after months of criticism for sticking with the bank when it received billions of pounds from the taxpayer.
The 28-year-old horsewoman has now lost the contract after the bank's bail out.
Zara was signed up to promote the RBS at sports fixtures, is spokesperson for the company and attends bank events.
However, the royal will not have her contract renewed when it expires in February.
An RBS insider said: "Zara has been a terrific ambassador but we felt it was not appropriate to continue with the relationship in the current circumstances."
A friend said Zara was "not surprised" by the decision.
Her relationship with the bank hasn't been plain sailing since she signed up with them nine months ago.
Zara was reportedly "irritated" with RBS in April when they asked her to promote their private branch, Coutts and Co. - used by her grandmother the queen.
A friend said at the time: "Zara doesn't want to give the impression that she's been bailed out by Granny's bank. She is not angry with RBS, but she is irritated with the situation and the impression it will give.
"She resisted it, but the terms of the contract leave her little choice. She is expecting a hard time when she is first seen out with Coutts's three crowns logo on her riding clothes."
Unlike many of her cousins - including Princes William and Harry and Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie - Zara is not registered with the civil list, meaning she gets no income from the state and has to finance her £500, 000-a-year sport herself.
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