While the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the York princesses got the most attention during Royal Ascot, it’s also worth noting that Zara Tindall (formerly Zara Phillips) and Mike Tindall were also there on Day 1, and they were greeted with laughs, smiles and hugs all around. There were some really lovely photos of Zara warmly embracing her favorite uncle, Prince Charles, and Charles’ biographer went on the record about how fond Charles is of his niece, and how they’ve always had a special bond. I didn’t know that Charles actually suggested Zara’s name to Princess Anne! That’s kind of cool that Charles pretty much named his niece. Anyway, did you also know that the Queen adores Zara and Mike? It’s true.
Pulling off his shiny top hat to reveal a tiny replica version at Royal Ascot, Mike Tindall effortlessly caused the Queen to erupt in chuckles last week. Her Majesty, 93, is very close to her eldest granddaughter Zara Tindall, 38, and her ex-rugby union husband Mike, 40 – and a royal expert claims she has a “tighter bond with them than she does with Kate and William”.
Ingrid Seward, Editor-in-Chief of Majesty Magazine, told Fabulous Digital that the Queen likes to be around the Tindalls as they seem more “normal” than the Cambridges. Ingrid, who is the author of My Husband & I – the story of the Queen and Prince Philip’s 70-year marriage, said Her Majesty is so close Zara as are neither are “intellectuals”.
She added: “The Queen has always adored Zara and is so proud of her riding success. They have a lot in common as they talk horses and the Queen has invested in several horses for her.”
Ingrid said that the Queen may even prefer Zara and Mike Tindall as they are care-free and separate from the current “royal dramas”. She explained: “They are certainly light relief. She can be herself around them and she does not care for the alleged feuding among William and Harry. That would make her very sad. But she would never interfere with their lives.”
Ingrid said: “I think the Queen is closest to Zara and Peter as they were her first grandchildren and have always been the favourites. She’s at her most relaxed around them; as a child she used to give Zara a smack around the legs when she was naughty, which was frequently. The Queen gets on well [with Prince William and Kate], but don’t have the same kind of easy-going giggly time with her as Zara and Mike do.”
[From The Sun]
To be fair, I don’t think anyone in the royal family is really considered an “intellectual”? Maybe Charles – he seems very well-read and thoughtful and bookish, but the rest of them are not intellectuals. But the point is that Zara and Mike really are the “normal blokes” of the royal family, probably because they’re NOT royal. Princess Anne actually did that right, not allowing her children to have titles. Zara is a great example of a successful and well-adjusted royal-adjacent. Anne and Zara both have that down-to-earth quality, so it’s little surprise that the Queen adores both.
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