Prince Harry and Meghan Markle dumped the UK for sunny California after the Queen snubbed their outrageous demands to be ‘working royals’ who used their Sussex brand to rake in the cash. But covering the Cheltenham Festival for the Daily Express all this week and seeing Zara and Mike Tindall in effortless action at the track you can only think Harry and Meghan have missed a trick.
First off, the Tindalls are not working royals: Mike, 47, works in sporting event VIP hospitality while this week Zara, 44, is here as an unpaid, non-executive director on the Cheltenham Racecourse committee. In this role, which she has held since 2020, she draws on her background as an Olympic silver medallist and professional equestrian and sometimes hands out trophies and helps advise on the punters’ race-day experience.
On Wednesday I watched Zara chat with Queen Camilla and Princess Anne when they arrived at the Gloucestershire track and watched as Zara gave Mike a smooch in the plush Royal Box enclosure.
I could see there was genuine warmth between Camilla and Zara. Formal warmth, but they were on public display and aware any banter would be overheard.
There have been suggestions Prince William is considering bringing Zara closer into the fold for his own future slimmed-down monarchy, to maybe represent royalty in horse or equestrian-related events.
So in a way the Tindalls are ‘half-in-half-out’ as they are royals – niece to the King and cousin to the future king – but have their own businesses.
This is almost what Megxit was all about – Harry and Meghan wanted to retain royal ties but also earn millionaire wages.
The difference is Harry and Meghan have made their millions of dollars by spilling royal secrets, smearing Harry’s own family and besmirching the Windsor name and that of ‘The Firm’.
Meanwhile Zara and Mike have stayed loyal to King Charles and crucially to Prince William and Catherine – and their businesses harmoniously align with the royal, high society set. Equestrian; VIP sports events; racing.
Ex-England rugby ace Mike is popular with the public and Princess Charlotte is close friends with Zara and Mike’s daughter Mia.
Mike has also remarked that his family’s growth has been “quite intertwined with” the Waleses, as their children are of similar ages.
While Mike and Zara have maintained strong links to Charles, Camilla, William and Catherine, Harry and Meghan have burnt down bridges.
That’s why the Tindalls are trusted and the Sussexes spurned.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.express.co.uk ’
