Who could blame the King if he really wanted to make Zara Tindall a princess? After all, thanks to a combination of illness (the King and Princess of Wales) and misfortune (Prince Andrew), the Royal Family has never needed more reinforcements.
Last Sunday, Zara’s mother, Princess Anne, joined the growing ranks of the disabled after being admitted to hospital with a concussion and minor head injuries, apparently after being run over by a horse. Naturally, Zara was one of the first to rush to her side at Bristol’s Southmead Hospital.
That’s why it’s tempting to believe reports from earlier this month that Charles wanted to give his 43-year-old niece a title and, with it, a major new role at the Firm.
In Zara – warm-hearted, self-assured and, take note, Andrew and Harry, universally loved – it’s easy to imagine a valuable addition to the beleaguered House of Windsor. In Kate’s temporary absence, she would surely add shine to the royal list.
Determined to give her children an upbringing that resembled a “normal” one, Anne refused titles for Zara and her brother Peter, so that the siblings remained on the outside, looking in, as members of the royal family, but not as “working” members of royalty.
Zara Tindall on the first day of the Cheltenham Festival in March this year. Her life seems to be a whirlwind of social life.
Barely a week goes by without Zara and Mike, 45, attending some glitzy function, writes Natasha Livingstone. The couple next to winner Max Verstappen’s car at the Bahrain Grand Prix held in March
However, it wouldn’t be far-fetched to imagine Zara sharing a joke with a sergeant major while inspecting troops, charming hospital patients or flying the flag abroad. As with everything else in her life, she faces new challenges with enthusiasm.
Her husband would also be an asset. In the past, the outspoken Mike Tindall, no stranger to barroom trouble, might have been a liability. Not any more. His charm and infectious humour have endeared him to the public. The late Queen adored him.
But don’t expect Zara, the reluctant, horse-crazy royal, to come to the rescue on her steed any time soon. She’s simply having too much fun.
His life is a dizzying social whirlwind. Barely a week goes by without Zara and Mike, 45, attending some glitzy function. Last week they were at the hottest show in town, Taylor Swift’s sold-out concert at Wembley.
While other royals nod obediently during their engagements, the Tindalls always seem to be having a great time.
Because of her Olympic career (she won silver at the 2012 Games), her marriage to a former England rugby captain, and being a highly recognizable royal, Zara is something of a celebrity.
Nor is it a burden on the taxpayer. As an ‘individual’, Zara has complete freedom to earn a living through endorsement deals.
A partnership with sportswear brand Musto is reportedly worth £500,000, a deal with Land Rover £200,000, Rolex £100,000, VST Enterprises £200,000 and jewelery brand Calleija £80,000.
Zara’s Olympic career (she won silver at the 2012 Games), her marriage to a former England rugby captain and the fact that she is a very recognizable royal make her something of a celebrity.
Last week, Mike and Zara were at the hottest show in town, Taylor Swift’s sold-out concert at Wembley.
Mike is no slouch when it comes to closing deals either. He is said to be the fourth richest former rugby player in the country and his appearance on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! in 2022 helped him secure a number of endorsements and sponsorships.
Some estimates put the couple’s fortune at £30m. Would these arrangements have been so advantageous if Zara had not been born sixth in line to the throne? Unlike Harry and Meghan, the Tindalls have managed to avoid accusations of exploiting their status.
Zara also works with racing-related charities: CatWalk in New Zealand, Retraining of Racehorses, World Horse Welfare and the Mark Davies Injured Riders Fund.
A friend felt it was highly unlikely Zara would be made a princess, saying: “If she were a full-time member of the Royal Family she wouldn’t be allowed to do sponsorship deals, so financially it would be very difficult for her.”
‘She can now come and go from royal events, but she can also enjoy her private life as a mother of three young children.’
Money aside, one look at her diary is enough to tell you why she’s in no hurry to give up an enviable life. As well as the Taylor Swift concert, this summer Zara has enjoyed hospitality at P!nk’s London concert and attended a film premiere, a charity golf competition and almost every day of Royal Ascot.
In the spring, Zara and Mike flew to the Bahrain Grand Prix and two weeks later were at the Cheltenham Festival, known for combining alcohol, music and racing.
A poll earlier this year revealed Zara was the fifth most popular royal, behind the late Queen, Princess Anne and William and Kate.
Named Sports Personality of the Year in 2006 after winning the World Eventing Championships in Germany, Zara remains a dedicated rider.
But it’s not all play and no work. Named Sports Personality of the Year in 2006 after winning the World Eventing Championships in Germany, Zara remains a dedicated rider and regular at equestrian events. She competed in the Badminton Horse Trials last month. Her friends say Zara sees herself primarily as “a competitive equestrian and a mother.”
It’s not that she’s shirking wider family responsibilities. In May, she helped William host a garden party at Buckingham Palace and is a regular at the Royal Windsor Horse Show, where she hugged the King last month.
But she enjoys freedoms that many members of her family don’t, something clearly illustrated in the New Year.
Having attended church in Sandringham on Christmas Day with the rest of the royals, Zara and Mike flew to Australia for 12 days of racing organized by thoroughbred sales company Magic Millions. It wasn’t just the Gold Coast that attracted them. Zara is sponsored by Magic Millions in a deal reportedly worth £125,000 a year.
The photos showed the couple joking around with Harry’s Argentine polo friend Nacho Figueras and his wife Delfina Blaquier, and going on a double date with actor Chris Hemsworth and his wife Elsa Pataky.
Zara also promoted Magic Millions’ brand partner, a shopping mall, on Instagram, posing for photos browsing designer boutiques and drinking wine.
The pair then travelled to Iceland. Snaps shared with Mike’s 600,000 Instagram followers showed them hanging out on glaciers, snorkelling in wetsuits and trying on oversized fur hats. This carefree approach has been well received by the public.
A poll earlier this year revealed Zara was the fifth most popular royal, behind the late Queen, Princess Anne and William and Kate.
“Untainted by the scandal, many perceive Zara and Mike as ‘relatable.'” Friends say “what you see is really what you get.”
One person who worked with Zara said: “She’s kind, down-to-earth and very sensitive. Let’s not forget she was the first royal to have a tongue piercing.”
That teenage piercing earned Zara the nickname “rebel royal” and friends admit that before she met Mike, she had a wild side. One friend, who used to meet Zara at well-heeled parties in west London and Cheltenham, said the young royal often enjoyed “wild nights out” and could “down a pint like any rugby player”.
She must be more than a match for her cousin William, whom Mike has mischievously nicknamed ‘One Pint Willy’, apparently because ‘he’s not the best of drinkers’.
In his biography of Zara, author Brian Hoey wrote that Zara’s wildest years coincided with her relationship with jockey Richard Johnson. “Zara admits that she enjoyed drinking at this time, perhaps more than she should have,” he wrote. But she never smoked or tried drugs. She denied being seen lying in the gutter, too drunk to know what was going on.
Mike is said to have had a “calming influence” on Zara. Another friend said: “It’s clear that she and Mike have a very good marriage, they are very loving towards each other. You see the children playing in different horse events. It’s a very normal family unit.”
Since 2013, the Tindalls have lived on the luxurious Gatcombe estate in Gloucestershire, which they share with Anne. It is a stable home for their children Mia, ten, Lena, six, and Lucas, three.
So the Tindalls were baffled by recent rumours that the family was planning to move to Australia. Spoiler: they’re not.
Despite official denials about her promotion to princess, the idea of Zara playing a larger role in the Firm is attractive to many. But, to use a term familiar to this rider, don’t put your shirt on the unlikely princess Zara any time soon.