. Zara's first marriage to James Fell was short-lived, although they had three children together. She remarried to Harold Holt – a Liberal Party politician – in 1946, although they had known each other for many years previously. She became the prime minister's wife in 1966, and was known for her energy and flamboyance. She was widowed in December 1967, when her husband disappeared while swimming at Cheviot Beach, Victoria