Mike and Zara Tindall: The two royals in the spotlight could hint at a new role in the Royal Family

Zara Tindall is the daughter of Princess Anne and her first husband Captain Mark Phillips. Zara Tindall may not have any royal titles, but she is one of the most decorated members of the Royal Family.

Indeed, Zara Tindall's career in horse riding was marked by many highs and lows. Twice she couldn’t make it to the Olympics because of her horse being injured during training, but in 2012 she won Silver at the London Olympics.

On a more personal note, Zara Tindall married Michael Tindall in 2011 after making their relationship official in 2004. Both sportsmen, the couple has been living together away from all the drama surrounding the Royal Family. However, in 2023, there was a shift and the two seem, more than ever, to be put in the spotlight.

Mike Tindall, Prince William and Prince George

In September 2023, clips of an episode of The Good, The Bad and The Rugby, Mike Tindall’s podcast, went viral amongst royal watchers. In these clips, Tindall and his co-hosts were talking to the Princess Royal, the Prince and Princess of Wales.

The royals joked about the competitiveness of Prince William and his wife. Though this one was highly popular, other podcast episodes have revealed that the relationship between the Tindalls and the Waleses is close and cheeky.

For instance, Tindall once revealed the nickname he has for the heir to the throne and it definitely does not fit the idea most people have about what goes on in the Royal Family. Tindall calls Prince William ‘one pint Willy’ because ‘he’s not the best of drinkers’.

Then, just this week on Christmas Day, Mike Tindall was seen hugging Prince George during the walkabout. On this The Telegraph writes that Mike Tindall was ‘once again (...) the jolly uncle at a family do, who can be relied upon to liven up proceedings.’

In The Telegraph, Rosa Silverman puts forward the idea that Tindall has come to play an important part in Prince William’s life: his brother. She writes:

In the absence of Prince William’s actual brother, the California-dwelling Duke of Sussex, the former England rugby star has, to some extent, come to fill the void; to allow the heir to the throne to truly relax and to be someone he can confide in.

The Royal Family's dilemma

The Tindalls being in the spotlight is interesting considering the fact that the Royal Family is currently struggling to relate to the general public due to their lack of young working royals. Indeed, since the departure of Prince Harry and his wife, the youngest working royals are Prince William and Kate Middleton.

Though they do a great job as Prince and Princess of Wales, they cannot be everywhere and The Firm would benefit from younger blood. Rumours about Princess Eugenie and Beatrice becoming working members of the family emerged in 2023 but their role is difficult to define because of their father Prince Andrew.

Meanwhile, earlier in December, royal expert Richard Eden wrote a column in Daily Mail explaining that King Charles should reward the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh by making their Dukedom hereditary. Part of his justification was the fact that the title being passed down to their son James would most likely guide him into being a working royal. The same goes for his sister, Lady Louise.

Zara and Mike Tindall could be the solution

When it comes to Zara and Mike Tindall, they would be perfect working royals. Contrary to Prince Andrew’s daughters they have no skeletons in the closet because of a royal parent. Princess Anne is actually, year after year, the hardest working royal.

Also, royal commentator Dickie Arbiter points out in The Telegraph that Mike Tindall is a ‘likeable’ man who appeared in I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here. On her end, ‘Zara’s longstanding closeness to her cousin has “rubbed off” on her husband’, Arbiter explains.

Finally, The Telegraph’s royal editor Hannah Furness says:

[Tindall] has somehow managed to find the line between being fairly indiscreet but so charming with it that nobody minds in the slightest. Even his high-risk turns on reality TV have ended up an asset to the royals: if he likes them, the public senses, they must be all right.

All of this makes Zara and Mike Tindall ideal candidates to become working royals. The images of their daughter Mia in the front row, holding Prince Louis' hand also seem to hint at a close bond between the two families which could be very good for the work that needs to be done.

Maybe the Tindalls and the Waleses could become the new ‘Fab Four’ now that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are indefinitely out.

Read more:

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⋙ Prince Andrew: These new upcoming revelations could be another massive blow for the Royal Family

Sources:

The Telegraph: How Mike Tindall became the brother Prince William needs

Vanity Fair: The Love Story of Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall