London, Feb 28 : The Queen's granddaughter, Zara Phillips, recently had her handbag, which contained valuable jewellery, stolen from her car.

She had been shopping nearby, and on returning found that her Range Rover had been broken into by thieves, with her riding gear strewn on the road.

Phillips, 27, was "close to tears" when she saw her damaged car and found her jewellery and cash missing on February 26.

"Zara was shaken by the incident and was frantically searching for her handbag," the Sun quoted a source as saying.

Her bag was later recovered from a hedge with her passport still in it.

"Police told her later that it was an opportunistic crime - but there is always a moment of fear that she has targeted," the source stated.

The Met last night confirmed the theft, and revealed a member of the public handed in the bag.

"There are no security implications," he added. (ANI)