Zara Tindall has opened up about the challenges the Royal Family faces, just days after her cousin Prince Harry begged for a reconciliation with King Charles and Prince William.
15:13, 14 May 2025Updated 15:13, 14 May 2025
Prince Harry with his cousin, Zara Tindall, and her husband, ex-England rugby international Mike(Image: (Image: Chris Jackson/Getty Images))
Days after Prince Harry’s most recent explosive interview, his cousin Zara Tindall has commented on the ‘struggles’ the Royal Family is grappling with.
Prince Harry, who has grown distant from King Charles and Prince William following several public criticisms through his memoir, interviews, and television appearances, has an estranged cousin in Zara, who has offered some thoughts on the tumult within the palace walls.
Speaking at a London Sporting Club lunch last week, Princess Anne’s 43-year-old daughter broached the subject of what royals endure, as reported in The Sun. “It is very hard to see from the outside but, 100-per cent, it is a family that is still going through the same struggles other people do,” she said.
“Whether they are relationships, obviously it is very easy to see every day. We’re still very supportive of each other.”
Zara used to enjoy a close relationship with Harry – however, his continual public outbursts have strained many familial ties. Nonetheless, Zara and her family maintain a robust bond with the Wales clan, highlighted by Mike Tindall’s endearing ‘brotherly relationship’ with Prince William, reports the Mirror.
Zara Tindall has spoken of the ‘struggles’ the Royal Family is currently going through(Image: WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Royal commentator Dickie Arbiter, who previously served as a Palace press secretary, attributes the close bond between Mike Tindall and Prince William to their similar dispositions. “Mike is a pretty straight guy,” he explained to the Telegraph.
“He’s down to earth, and William is too… They are two peas from the same pod, they’ve just had different upbringings. We’ve seen [this] time and again in William and Mike’s interactions. They are a proper family. They’re not playing at it,” he remarked.
Mike also shares a great rapport with Princess Kate, having welcomed her and William on his podcast, The Good, The Bad and The Rugby. Both families relish spending quality time together, often accompanied by their young children.
Mike, a father of three himself, has formed an endearing relationship with George, Charlotte, and Louis. His playful nature was on display when he gestured ‘I’m watching you’ to Prince Louis during the Platinum Jubilee celebrations, and he was seen warmly draping an arm around George on Christmas Day 2023, while his daughter Mia held hands with a smiling Louis.
It comes after Prince Harry came under fire for giving an explosive interview to the BBC after losing his legal bid to have his UK police protection reinstated. He said that there had been “so many disagreements” in the family, but the “only thing that’s left” is the row over his security – which he said had “always been the sticking point”.
“There is no point in continuing to fight anymore, life is precious,” he added. Harry also commented on the health of King Charles, which has drawn heavy criticism.
The 76-year-old monarch is currently receiving cancer treatment. Harry said: “I don’t know how much longer my father has – he won’t speak to me because of this security stuff but it would be nice to reconcile.”
He added “some members of my family will never forgive me” for the publication of his memoir ‘Spare’, and added: “It would be nice to have that reconciliation part now. If they don’t want that, that’s entirely up to them.”