Zara Tindall says she’s ‘lucky’ her mother Princess Anne didn’t give her a royal title meaning she ‘got to do it her own way’ growing up – and hopes she has adopted their ‘great work ethic’

• The couple have appeared on Seven: Rob Burrow, The Total Sport Podcast
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Zara Tindall has revealed she’s ‘lucky’ that Princess Anne didn’t give her a royal title as she spoke candidly about her family in a new podcast.

The mother-of-three and her husband Mike, who live in Princes Anne’s Gatcombe Park estate in Gloucestershire, were interviewed by former rugby player Rob Burrow on his Total Sport podcast. 

During the discussion, Rob – who was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in 2019 – asked the couple what advice they would give to their seven-year-old selves.

Although she was originally daunted by the question, Zara went on to discuss her role in the Institution – and how happy she is that Princess Anne didn’t force her and her brother Peter to be working royals.

She explained: ‘From my point of view, I was obviously very lucky that my mother didn’t give us any titles so I really commend her on that.

Princess Anne seen with Zara Tindall at Royal Ascot in June 2023. Zara has praised her mother for not giving her and her brother royal titles in a new podcast

‘We were very lucky that we got to do it a bit our own way. 

‘My family has a great work ethic as well which I’m hoping they instilled in me and is still going to this day.

‘Hopefully, we can pass it onto our kids. Now, my brother and my cousins love to go back and do the same things and I hope that our children have the same experiences that we did when we were growing up.

‘You don’t really appreciate that until you’re older and you’ve got kids.’ 

When Princess Anne welcomed her son Peter in 1977, she decided with her then-husband Mark Philips that they didn’t want to give their children the HRH titles they were entitled to in a bid to give them as an normal upbringing as possible. 

Zara then said her advice to her younger self would be to ‘listen a bit more’ and work harder at school. 

Elsewhere in the podcast, Mike and Zara revealed they affectionately call each other ‘munchkin’.

Mike says: ‘We basically call each other munchkins a lot. I don’t know why that started but it has stuck.

The couple were interviewed by former rugby player Rob Burrow in the latest episode of his Total Sport podcast

Prince William is known as ‘one pint Willy’ to Mike Tindall because he’s not a big drinker, according to Mike Tindall

‘I will let Zara decide whether she wants to give away what I am down in her phone as…’ 

Zara replies: ‘He is in my phone as something else and it ends with kitten.’ 

This conversation then prompted Rob to quiz the rugby star on other family nicknames.

 Mike says: ‘For the Prince of Wales, he is known as One Pint Willy.

‘He is known to me as One Pint Willy because he is not the best of drinkers, coming from a sport where it is built on the social aspect and a couple of beers being sunk quite often. That is one I will give away for the Prince of Wales.’ 

Zara can be heard laughing before saying: ‘Oh my god. You are in so much trouble.’

William, Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales burst out laughing as they attend the recording of a special episode of The Good, The Bad and The Rugby podcast, in the Green Drawing Room at Windsor Castle along with with Mike and his mother-in-law, Princess Anne

The Tindalls made the revelations in a special podcast with rugby league legend Rob Burrow, who is battling motor neurone disease, seen here with his family at BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2022

Mike also admits that he dreams of his two-year-old son Lucas becoming a professional golfer – and that he wanted to give him the middle name of ‘Mulligan’.

‘The two year old is where I am pinning my dreams,’ says the 2003 Rugby World Cup winner.

‘I actually wanted his middle name to be Mulligan because if he did become a professional golfer, he would drop the Lucas and just become Mulligan Tindall. 

‘I thought that would be the best golfing name ever. Plus Mulligan means the offspring of a balding man, so that was perfect!’ 

Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall smile as they look at her phone during Day Two of Wimbledon last year

Zara and Mike, pictured at Ascot last year, store pet names on their phones. The couple made the revelation during a new podcast

Zara Tindall seen supervising her son Lucas  on a trampoline at Gatcombe Park over the summer 

Burrow tells the Tindalls that he has always wanted to deliver the Alternative Christmas Message, which airs on Channel 4 at the same time as the King’s Christmas Message on the BBC

Zara says: ‘I definitely think you could do the other Christmas speech. You would definitely rock it and be a huge inspiration to many people.

‘I’m sure (King Charles) would let you just do your own thing. I hope to see that one time. I think you just record it anyway and send that out there!’

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