New mother Zara Phillips has headed home from hospital after welcoming her newborn baby daughter into the world.

The silver medal-winning Olympian, who is one of Britain's leading equestrian riders, gave birth to her first child early this morning at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital with husband, the former England rugby star, Mike Tindall at her side.

The new royal baby, who weighed 7lbs 12oz and is 16th in line to the throne, is the Queen's fourth great grandchild.

Buckingham Palace said in a statement: ''The Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Princess Royal, Captain Mark Phillips and Mike's parents, Mr Phillip and Mrs Linda Tindall, have been informed and are delighted with the news.

''The baby's name will be confirmed in due course.''

The new family of three are believed to have headed to their home on the Princess Royal's Gatcombe Park estate.

Zara's pregnancy was confirmed by the Palace in July, just a few weeks before the birth of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's baby son Prince George.

She took a tumble while competing at the Barbury International Eventing and Show in Marlborough, Wiltshire, a few days before her pregnancy became public knowledge.

But she was described as ''fine'' by a spokeswoman for Juniper Sport, a PR and sports agency that represents her.

Zara won a silver medal at London 2012 with eventing equestrian teammates William Fox-Pitt, Mary King, Tina Cook and Nicola Wilson, and is planning to take part in the Rio de Janeiro Games in 2016.

She married former rugby international Tindall in July 2011 in a ceremony staged in Edinburgh and attended by the Queen and senior royals.

The baby girl follows Zara's brother Peter Phillips' two children and Prince George to become the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh's fourth great grandchild.

Peter Phillips' daughters Savannah and Isla Phillips was also born at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital in Gloucester.

Zara and Tindall moved back to Anne's Gatcombe Park estate in Gloucestershire last January after selling their regency home in Cheltenham.

The pair first met in a Sydney bar when Tindall was in Australia for the 2003 Rugby World Cup.

In the days leading up to the birth of their baby daughter, Zara - who is also a horse trainer - was spotted watching three of her entrants run in the Heythrop Hunt Point-to-Point races in Aldsworth, Gloucestershire on January 12.

Prime Minister David Cameron sent a message to the happy couple in a tweet - using the hashtag £royalbaby - to say: ''Many congratulations to Zara and Mike Tindall on the birth of their baby girl.''