Mike Tindall doesn’t plan to accept a royal title anytime soon.
The retired England rugby player, who is married to Princess Anne’s daughter Zara Tindall, expressed that he wouldn’t take on a royal rank if offered the opportunity.
When asked about the possibility of accepting a royal title during a fundraising event, Mike told Closer Magazine, “I would definitely turn that down,” according to Hello! magazine.
He added that joining the royal family was “easier than it could have been,” emphasizing a sentiment he’s previously expressed.
Mike, 46, joined the British royal family when he wed professional equestrian Zara in July 2011 (just a few months after Prince William and Kate Middleton tied the knot!). However, he didn’t receive a royal title. While Zara, 43, is a grandchild of the late Queen Elizabeth and niece of King Charles, Princess Anne made the decision for her kids not to have titles before Zara was born.
The Princess Royal, 73, and her first husband, Captain Mark Phillips, became parents when their son Peter Phillips was born in 1977, and Anne broke decades of tradition by opting not to give her children royal titles or His/Her Royal Highness styling. While Princess Anne’s children were not entitled to royal status by birth since titles can only be given to a sovereign’s grandchildren through sons, Queen Elizabeth extended a courtesy title to Anne’s kids, which her daughter declined.
Princess Anne and Captain Mark, who divorced in 1992, made a similar choice when they got married. He turned down a title that he would have received as a wedding gift from the Queen, and Princess Anne later reflected that declining royal styling was the right choice for her children.
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“I think it was probably easier for them, and I think most people would argue that there are downsides to having titles,” the Princess Royal told Vanity Fair in 2020. “So I think that was probably the right thing to do.”
Zara has also said that she is glad her mom did not give her a title, hinting it allowed for more freedom.
“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,” Zara said on the Seven: Rob Burrow podcast in December 2023. “We were very lucky that we got to do it a bit our own way.”
Zara, Mike and their three children — Mia, 11, Lena, 6, and Lucas, 4 — are frequent fixtures at royal family events. The Good, The Bad & The Rugby podcast co-host was spotted sharing a laugh with his daughter Mia and his niece Savannah Phillips on Christmas at Sandringham in December 2024, joining the royals for church on the holiday.
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