Mike Tindall, who is the son-in-law of Princess Anne, has given royal fans a peek behind the curtain into his family life with wife Zara and their children
Mike Tindall has offered a rare insight into his sweet home life with wife Zara, including the heartwarming nicknames they use for each other behind closed doors.
The former England rugby captain, who is the son-in-law of Princess Anne, shared that the low-key royal couple do their best to maintain a normal and private life away from the spotlight, as they each have their own careers rather than being working members of the Royal Family.
According to Mike, the couple – who tied the knot in 2011 – lovingly refer to each other as ‘munchkin’, while also using other nicknames as their everyday identifiers.
Mike told Woman & Home magazine : “If it’s nicknames, it’s Z and Mikey-T.” Their sweet nicknames are a reflection on the fun-loving and carefree couple, who have become fan favourites despite their lack of royal titles and roles.
The rugby legend also shared an insight into the demands of parenting, as he and Zara share three children: Mia, 12, Lena, seven, and Lucas, five. Mike spoke candidly about managing parenthood and his professional commitments. “It can be stressful,” he admitted. “You’re trying to do everything all at once, and that’s hard. But you find a way.”
The father-of-three emphasised the importance of maintaining a sense of enjoyment despite the pressures of daily life, as he added: “The whole point is to find a way and get it done while having fun at the same time. That’s what we try to do anyway. You’ve always got to see the funny side!”
The Good, the Bad and the Rugby podcast host also touched on his and Zara’s division of labour in their home, as he revealed Zara is an excellent cook, while he tackles the washing up.
“She’s an amazing cook, better than me 100 per cent and better on the barbecue,” he acknowledged, although he confessed to enjoying time spent at the grill regardless. “What man doesn’t? It makes you feel even manlier cooking meat. But washing up and clearing up, that’s my space,” he said.
Mike Tindall has often shared several snippets of information from behind palace walls – with his latest revealing the Princess of Wales’s competitive side and exposing what really goes down at royal parties.
With Mike’s cheeky stories proving to be a huge hit with royal fans, former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond believes there is one major difference between Mike’s harmless anecdotes, and Prince Harry ’s repeated exposés on the Royal Family.
Jennie told the Mirror : “For the most part he’s very careful about what he says (although the anecdote about the ‘nibble my nuts’ underpants was a bit risqué!).
“The key difference is that Mike never offends or criticises the family and its traditions. He offers glimpses of life behind the scenes, but they are all harmless. Such as what it’s like to ride in the royal procession at Ascot and how sweaty it can be wearing a top hat.
The royal expert continued: “He knows where to draw the line — and it’s all said with great good humour. Harry has overstepped the mark multiple times with his carping about royal life and with his pointed indiscretions, revealing the content of private conversations and arguments.”
The royal expert continued: “I think the rest of the family regard Mike as a huge asset, and a solid character who has helped William through some tough times. He’s immensely likeable and seems like a great husband and super fun dad. I think they’d forgive him for the odd indiscretion…but he hasn’t been tempted yet into anything too revealing. Just enough to keep us all interested!”
