Mike Tindall's confession about struggle during marriage to Zara - 'It's not that easy'
Mike and Zara have been married since 2011
14 years into their marriage, Mike and Zara Tindall’s love story remains strong, but a resurfaced confession from Mike reveals the emotional hurdles they’ve faced behind the scenes.
The couple, who wed in 2011 with a royal guest list of 400 in Edinburgh, share three children and have stood strong together through life’s many twists and turns.
Is Zara still married to Mike?
Yes, Zara and Mike Tindall are still happily married.
But behind their strong bond, Mike has been candid about the private challenges they’ve faced, especially after his retirement from professional rugby.
In the 2023 ITV docuseries Grand Slammers, the former England rugby star opened up about the emotional transition from sports to civilian life, and how it impacted his role as a husband.
“Everyone thinks that just by marrying Zara that means it’s all fine and dandy,” he said during one episode, as reported by Express. “But that doesn’t stop the fact that you need a job. And it’s not that easy, you know. You get quite institutionalised into rugby. It’s a way of life, and you leave the game and that’s not there.”
Everyone thinks that just by marrying Zara that means it’s all fine and dandy.
Mike admitted that stepping away from the sport left a void: “You can never replace going to work with 35 of your best friends every day.”
While he expressed gratitude for Zara’s support during that uncertain time, Mike was honest that things didn’t fall into place right away.
He said: “Zara would say if she was honest it was probably a year it took me to figure out what I was, who I was going to be.”
Did Mike Tindall say he would decline a royal title?
Despite marrying into the royal family, Mike Tindall has made it clear he has no interest in royal titles.
During a fundraising event, he told Closer magazine: “I would definitely turn that down.”
As reported by HELLO!, the former athlete also joked that joining the royal family was “easier than it could have been”. However, he emphasised his desire to remain grounded.
Mike didn’t receive a title upon his marriage to Zara, who herself was born without one, after her mother, Princess Anne, opted against royal styling for her children.
Princess Anne has said it was the right decision. “I think most people would argue that there are downsides to having titles,” she told Vanity Fair in 2020.
Zara has echoed her mother’s stance. In a 2023 podcast appearance, she said: “We were very lucky that we got to do it a bit our own way.”
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Mike’s grandmother was ‘dead against’ marriage to Zara
Meanwhile, while the royal family embraced Mike with warmth, there was initial hesitation from his own relatives.
Mike’s father, Phillip Tindall, once revealed that Mike’s grandmother had concerns about his marriage to a royal.
“Linda’s mum was dead against it,” Phillip told The Sunday Times in 2020. “In her day, royalty married royalty, and she thought the wedding would be shunned. But right from the start, the whole family was just lovely.”
Although his grandmother never got to meet Zara, Phillip said she would’ve loved her just the same. “She and Mike are perfect for each other,” he gushed.
Read more: ‘Reason’ Mike and Zara Tindall ‘won’t become working royals’ amid King Charles ‘decision’
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