Mike and Zara Tindall's marriage is 'stronger than ever'

‘Very playful and cheeky’ Zara Tindall’s marriage to ‘straight-talking Yorkshireman’ Mike is ‘stronger than ever’ as they prepare for the birth of their third child, reveals royal expert

  • Zara, 39, and Mike, 41, live at Princess Anne’s Gatcombe Estate in Gloucester 
  • Former rugby ace announced the pregnancy last week on his sports podcast 
  • Source said their marriage is ‘stronger than ever’ ahead of the birth of third child
  • Called Mike ‘straight talking’ and Queen’s granddaughter is ‘playful and cheeky’
  • Told The Telegraph: ‘Whatever they do is pretty effortless, there’s no masterplan’ 

‘Very playful and cheeky’ Zara Tindall’s marriage to rugby ace Mike is ‘stronger than ever’ as they prepare for the birth of their third child, sources have claimed.

Mike, 41, was welcomed with cheers from his rugby mates as he announced his wife Zara, 39, was expecting a ‘third Tindall’ during the podcast he co-hosts, The Good, The Bad & The Rugby on Wednesday. 

Mike said that Zara, who is four months pregnant, is doing very well but is ‘always careful due to things that have happened in the past’, adding that she is really looking forward to the new arrival.

Insiders told The Telegraph that the casual announcement was a reflection of their ‘relatable’ relationship, adding: ‘Whatever they do is pretty effortless – there’s no masterplan, like, let’s become a great advert for the Royal family. They are just themselves.’ 

‘Very playful and cheeky’ Zara Tindall’s, 39, marriage to rugby ace Mike, 41, is ‘stronger than ever’ as they prepare for the birth of their third child, sources have claimed

Meanwhile they called the rugby ace ‘a straight-talking Yorkshireman, adding: ‘Zara doesn’t have any of the trappings of being associated with the Royal family. 

‘There’s no airs and graces or standing on ceremony. People get on with her because she’s very normal.’

Sources added that the couple ‘support one another in everything they do’, explaining that they are ‘great friends’ and ‘very affectionate towards each other.’  

The comments come after Vanity Fair’s Katie Nicholl reported the Queen, 94, was ‘particularly happy’ for the couple about their recent pregnancy announcement.

The couple live at Princess Anne’s Gatcombe Estate in Gloucester with their daughters Mia, six, and Lena, two 

She wrote: ‘The Queen, who is close to Zara, is said to be particularly happy about the news after Zara and Mike suffered two miscarriages while trying for their second baby.’   

The Queen and Prince Philip currently have eight great-grandchildren. The baby is the second royal arrival on the way as Zara’s cousin Princess Eugenie is expecting her first child next year. 

Announcing the news last week, the former England Rugby star told co-hosts Alex Payne and James Haskell: ‘It’s been a good week for me, had a little scan last week – third Tindall on its way.’   

He said: ‘Z is very good, always careful because of things that have happened in the past, and really looking forward to it.’ 

The comments come days after Katie Nicholl said the Queen, 94, is ‘close to her granddaughter Zara’ and is ‘delighted’ at the news she is pregnant 

He added: ‘I’d like a boy this time, I’ve got two girls, I would like a boy. I’ll love it whether a boy or a girl – but please be a boy.’ 

He then joked the couple are considering naming the child to reflect the fact they were conceived during the pandemic. 

A source close to the couple told The Telegraph: ‘Zara is four months pregnant and they are absolutely delighted to share this news.’

The couple, who live at Princess Anne’s Gatcombe Estate in Gloucester, are already parents to Mia Grace, six, and Lena Elizabeth, two.   

The rugby ace was welcomed with cheers from his rugby mates as he announced his wife Zara is pregnant with their third child

The Queen bought the Grade II-listed manor house for her only daughter and her then husband, Captain Mark Phillips, as a wedding present, and the couple moved in 1977 – and raised their two children, Peter and Zara, on the estate. 

The couple, who suffered two miscarriages after the birth of their eldest daughter in 2014, were the first royals to openly speak about the heart-breaking experience. 

In December 2016 the couple revealed that a pregnancy announced the previous month had ended in a miscarriage.

Two years later in an interview with the Sunday Times, Zara, opened up about the devastation of losing the baby and revealed she had suffered a second miscarriage before falling pregnant with daughter Lena, now two.    

The Queen and granddaughter Zara are said to enjoy a close relationship (pictured at the Easter service last year) 

Speaking about her experience to The Sunday Times in 2018, Zara said the hardest part of her first miscarriage was having to tell the world because news of the pregnancy had been made public.  

Zara met Mike during England’s Rugby World Cup-winning campaign in Australia in 2003.

They announced their engagement, and as required by the Royal Marriages Act 1772 – which has since been repealed – the Queen gave her consent to their marriage in a meeting of the Privy Council on 10 May 2011. The couple married on July 30, 2011. 

Source: Read Full Article