Who is Zara Tindall’s husband Mike Tindall? The sweet love story of couple who met each other through Prince Harry
Zara and Mike Tindall, the daughter and son-in-law of Anne, Princess Royal, are among the exclusive thirty invitees in Prince Philip's private funeral service. Parents to two daughters, the Tindalls are royal family members who seem to remain quite busy with their own sporting careers. While Zara is an Olympian equestrian, her husband Mike Tindall is a former rugby union player.
Zara Tindall recently came under the media limelight after she reportedly revealed her displeasure about Meghan Markle accusing the royal family of racism. "The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will never be invited to their Gatcombe Park estate again if Zara has anything to say about it,” a source close to Zara shared. Meanwhile, let us have a closer look at the sweet love story of Mike and Zara Tindall, one of Britain's most famous and beloved royal couples.
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Who is Mike Tindall?
Michael James 'Mike' Tindall is a former rugby union player who has won 75 caps for England between 2000 and 2011, while playing in outside center position for Bath and Gloucester. A member of the 2003 World Cup winning English squad, he played in eleven Six Nations Championship and won the 2003 Championship for England.
Born on October 18, 1978, in Otley, West Yorkshire, Mike Tindall is the son of a banker and a social worker. His ancestors had been bootmakers, stonemasons, weavers and blacksmiths. He attended the Queen Elizabeth Grammar School in Wakefield where his father used to captain the Rugby Union Football Club.
At just 18, Tindall joined Bath as a rugby player, playing regularly for Bath as well as the English national team. He played at Bath usually in the outside center position till 2005, when he joined the Gloucester team.
In 2011, Tindall was fined by the Rugby football union and removed from its elite player squad, after he participated in the primitive custom of throwing a dwarf in New Zealand.
In 2012, he joined the Barbarians where he even captained the team in a match agaist England.
Meanwhile, Tindall got married to Zara Philips, the eldest granddaughter of the Queen and Prince Philip and the only daughter of Princess Anne with her former husband Mark Philips.
Both Zara and Mike Tindall were bestowed with the honor of Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) for their exemplary athletic achievements.
Zara and Mike Tindall's love story
The duo first met in Australia in 2003 where Mike Tindall was playing for England in the Rugby World Cup. At that time, Zara Philips was on her gap year and visiting Australia with friends.
They were introduced to each other by Prince Harry, who is Zara's cousin. The couple met each other for the first time at the Manly Wharf bar in Sydney.
In an interview with 60 Minutes, Zara once mentioned that Mike Tindall was upset after being dropped from squad just prior to the semi-finals.
"Zara was in the same bar; we got introduced but didn't speak that much. Later on, Austin gave me her number and said, 'She wants you to text her, to say where you're all going out after the final so she can come along," Tindall recalled to Daily Mail.
Upon their return to the UK, the couple reconnected and Zara invited Mike to join her for the North Costwald Ball. "I think it was April 27 (2004) - that would be the official date we said we were going to go out with each other," said Tindall.
Career has always remained the prime priority for both of them. They are extremely supportive of each other's career - a secret that had made their relationship work.
"He understands the pressures and vice versa, which obviously helps, but it actually started from becoming very good friends," Zara had told The Telegraph. Tindall also admitted how his partner has always been an 'awesome support' for his career.
In 2009, the couple moved in together at a property in Princess Anne's royal estate in Gatcombe Park. At following year in December, they got engaged. Their wedding took place in July 2011 in Ediburgh, Scotland, attended by many members of the royal family.
In January 2014, Zara and Mike Tindall welcomed their first child Mia Grace. After a tragic miscarriage in 2016, Zara announced that she was expecting again in 2018. Their second daughter, Lena was born in June 2018.
As a family, Mike and Zara Tindall prefer to maintain a low profile and do not hold any royal titles. They are thus not mandated to execute any royal duties.