Zara Tindall has given a hilariously candid update on her marriage to her husband, Mike. The couple, who married in Scotland in 2011, gave a rare interview at the Beauty Awards and shared their tips for a happy marital life.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Zara said their secret for a happy marriage is to accept that “nothing runs smoothly ever” but that “you’ve got to have fun” in spite of everything. She said of her relationship: “We’ve been together for 21 years. Nothing runs smoothly ever. You’ve got to accept that in life. It’s a work-in-progress [but] you’ve got to have fun.”
The couple, who share daughters Mia and Lena, and son Lucas, will mark their 15th wedding anniversary next summer
Elsewhere in their rare interview, Zara confirmed the Tindalls’ festive holiday plans and revealed that they will be spending Christmas at Sandringham with the King and other members of the Royal Family.
The couple and their three children will participate in the traditional Norfolk gathering which will involve the annual walk to St Mary Magdalene Church for a morning service before returning to Sandringham House for a Christmas meal.
Zara said: “We are so lucky, Christmas is always amazing. We get to do a lot of fun things, and the place looks amazing. We will see everyone.”
Zara and Mike met in the Manly Wharf bar in Sydney, Australia, during England’s Rugby World Cup-winning campaign in 2003 while Zara was on her gap year with a group of friends. Mike later revealed that Zara had left her number for him, and after they spent some time texting, she invited him to be her date at the upcoming North Cotswold Ball back in the UK.
Mike soon met his future in-laws and described Princess Anne as a “legend” before revealing what his welcome into the firm was really like. “My mates in Wakefield are forever asking how I fit in among the royal family but they are really down to earth,” he quipped.
Mike popped the question in a proposal at their home in 2010. “I was upstairs, plucking up the nerve to do it, while Zara was downstairs watching television,” he recalled. “It was all about shock value – I wanted to catch her when it was quiet, and she wasn’t expecting anything… She was completely in shock. Then, when she stopped laughing, she said, ‘Yes.’ That was a relief.”