Inside life of most down-to-earth royal couple – from flying economy to shunning titles & beer pong with Kate Middleton
WHEN you think of the Royal Family, you might imagine grand palaces, posh grub and round-the-clock servants, but for popular couple Zara and Mike Tindall, life is a lot more "normal".
After her mother, Princess Anne, shunned the Queen’s offer of giving Zara and her older brother Peter Phillips a HRH title at birth, she has lived a fairly "ordinary" life - a life that led her to marry down-to-earth rugby legend Mike Tindall.
The couple, who are parents to Mia, nine, Lena, five, and two year old Lucas, will always join the Royal Family for big occasions, such as weddings, funerals, church services and at Christmas gatherings, but other than those few commitments, the Tindalls tend to enjoy a quiet life out of the spotlight.
Royal commentator Jennie Bond told Fabulous: "I have never met anyone who has a bad word to say about either Mike or Zara.
"They are so relatable and modern, and they are still madly in love with each other - and that is no mean achievement after 20 years of marriage and three kids!”
I have never met anyone who has a bad word to say about either Mike or Zara
Jennie Bond
Zara, 42, met Mike when they were introduced to each other in a bar in Sydney by Zara’s cousin Prince Harry.
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And their relationship only blossomed when they returned to the UK, with the pair often being pictured indulging in a PDA or Mike cheekily grabbing Zara’s bottom!
The couple married in a private ceremony at Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh in July 2011 – just three months after Prince William and Kate’s grand wedding at Westminster Abbey, which cost an eye watering £30million.
The low key wedding - albeit attended by Zara’s late grandmother The Queen - was an early signal that the couple wanted to largely stay out of the royal spotlight.
They prefer nights at their local pub to posh banquets and even recently turned down a first class trip for economy seats on a trip from Nice to London.
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So normal is their life, the couple have carved out their own careers - Zara, a silver medal winning Olympian while Mike was a member of the Rugby World Cup winning team and is now co-host of a successful podcast, The Good, The Bad and The Rugby. He appeared on I’m A Celebrity last year, coming in fourth place.
However, Mike, who retired from rugby in 2014, recently opened up about his need for an income, despite being part of the most famous family in the world.
Speaking on ITV1 Grand Slammer, which saw Mike and some of his old teammates teach prison inmates how to play rugby, said, “Everyone thinks that just by marrying Zara that means it's all fine and dandy… But that doesn't stop the fact that you need a job.”
And according to Jennie, this statement made the couple even more “down to earth and relatable”.
She said: “They are both sporting stars in their own right.
“Zara carries the glitter of royalty, but makes absolutely no fuss about it, while Mike has hero status from England’s World Cup win, but seems untainted by fame.”
She added: “I think it is a very equal partnership.
“They have supported each other in their careers and share parenting duties.
"Mike has also managed to do some very public things, such as I’m A Celeb and his podcast, and he manages to talk just enough about his royal connections to titillate us, but without getting into trouble.
"It makes him all the more intriguing.”
Zara carries the glitter of royalty, but makes absolutely no fuss about it
Jennie Bond
Mike, who celebrates his 45th birthday on October 18, and Zara definitely know how to have a laugh and joke.
In 2019, Zara was pictured singing the classic Paul Simon hit Call Me Al on karaoke at a posh dinner at the Celebrity Cup at the Celtic Manor in Wales.
Meanwhile she showed her dry sense of humour after joking about Mike “cheating” on her with his I’m A Celeb campmate Sue Cleaver.
And Mike has also had a few one liners of his own - namely saying he’d like a vasectomy after Zara gave birth to Luca.
He said: "I literally was like 'Yep, snip, snip, snip.' I've got a boy. I'm out. I'm out of here.”
Royal expert Ingrid Seward once revealed how the late Queen liked to be around the Tindalls as she preferred "ordinary people like Mike more than she does those that pander to her".
And Mike also has a close bond with Princes William and Harry, as well as Kate, recently revealing her “competitive” side when it comes to playing beer pong.
Jennie said: “Mike and Zara have never lost their sense of fun.
“You have the beer pong, the date nights, leaving the kids and going racing in Australia - they are a couple who enjoy a good time and one another’s company.
You have the beer pong, the date nights, leaving the kids and going racing in Australia - they are a couple who enjoy a good time
Jennie Bond
“And his recent podcast with his mother in law and William and Catherine showed just how well he gets along with his royal relations - they all love him!”
But it isn’t all just fun and cheeky banter for the pair - like Mike’s trend of jokingly posing in Zara’s fascinator at royal occasions - as they have a serious side too.
He and Zara have both opened up about the two miscarriages they have suffered - the first in December 2016 when Zara was five months pregnant, and the second before falling pregnant with their Lena.
At the time, Zara said: “In our case, it was something that was really rare; it was nature saying, 'This one's not right'. I had to go through having the baby because it was so far along.”
Revealing her husband Mike was "concerned" for her following the second miscarriage, she added, “Everyone was. It was a time when my family came to the fore and I needed them.
"It's hard for the guys, it's a different feeling of loss, isn't it?”
Meanwhile, earlier this month, Mike also spoke about the "difficult" time they went through, saying, "It's a terrible journey for mothers as they look at themselves like it's their fault."
He revealed that it was first and then only daughter, Mia, who helped the couple through the devastating time.
Mike said: "To get home from the hospital and Mia is there with a smile on her face, you put all your love into her.
"If we’d have gone home to an empty house, that would have been a completely different scenario."
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And Jennie said speaking about such personal issues makes them “more connected to modern life.”
She said: “It makes them seem more relatable, less formal and more accessible - and that’s important.”
