Mike Tindall on 15-year marriage to Zara: sport and kids are easy, the rest takes work

Mike Tindall, 47, says he and his wife Zara Tindall put off difficult conversations in their marriage until they cannot be avoided. The couple have been married since July 2011. He described their dynamic in an interview on the Talk Horse podcast, as reported by HELLO! Magazine.

He said life around sport, animals and their children is straightforward. Other parts of married life are harder. He put that down to nuance rather than big fallings-out.

He said neither of them chases confrontation until it happens. That is sometimes not the best approach, he added. When a disagreement does arrive, he said they are pretty good at talking it through and have to muddle through because it is never easy.

He joked that he sometimes wants to annoy Zara just for the sake of it. He added that he probably does that too much.

He also spoke about how he supports Zara before competition. He tries to give her space before cross-country, the fast jumping phase of eventing that requires massive focus. He also tries to make her laugh to remind her not to be too serious.

On family life, he said his last year as a professional athlete was the year eldest daughter Mia was born. He has therefore not been a professional sportsman while his children have been growing up. The couple have three children: Mia, 12, Lena, eight, and Lucas, five.

He acknowledged the pressure Zara faces as a mother of three competing at elite level. She feels guilt trying to combine motherhood with sport, he said. It is a balancing act many working parents will recognise.

The couple married at Canongate Kirk, according to People. They could not take an immediate honeymoon because it was the middle of the eventing season, as reported by The Telegraph. Zara suffered a mid-term miscarriage just before Christmas 2016, as reported by The Telegraph. The couple later credited Mia with helping them through that difficult time.

Mike has previously said having children was a “shock” to the system. Zara once corrected him when he got their wedding date wrong while interviewing her.

What makes this stand out is the tone. There is no polished line about a perfect marriage. Just an account of avoidance, late talking, and deliberate laughter.