7 Rumors About Zara Tindall We Couldn't Ignore

Zara Tindall is one of the royals who lives her life like a normal person. Born to Princess Anne and her then-husband, Captain Mark Phillips, she grew up without a title. This is because her father, Phillips, is a commoner. As per royal tradition, children born into the royal family get their titles from their father. As reported by the BBC, the late Queen Elizabeth II did offer her a title, which her parents didn't accept. But while she doesn't have all the royal perks, her connections and fewer royal responsibilities seem to make up for it. It's also become clear that Tindall didn't need to be granted a princess title to be considered interesting. Royal fans are still curious about her life, and she isn't immune to rumors.

Tindall told The Times that she feels fortunate not to have a title. She explained, "We grew up and did all the things that gave us the opportunity to do." She has an equestrian career, an interest she picked up from her mother. Prince William, who is said to be quite close to Zara Tindall, confessed on "The Good, The Bad & The Rugby" podcast, "The only time I've ever cried watching a sport is when Zara won, I think it was the European Championship."

Royals usually try to maintain a squeaky-clean public image. Elizabeth's granddaughter has a relatively relaxed life, but there are rumors about her that are, to put it simply, quite surprising. While some aren't as big a deal, like that she got a belly button piercing, others are as extreme as possible cheating. So without further ado, here are a few rumors about Zara Tindall that we couldn't ignore even if we tried.

Princess Anne is said to be the hardest-working royal. But she clearly wanted her children to live a more ordinary life. To ensure that happened, she even rejected her mother's offer to give her kids the HRH title. She doesn't seem to regret that decision, either. When discussing the same with Vanity Fair, she said, "I think it was probably easier for them, and I think most people would argue that there are downsides to having titles." Zara Tindall is on the same page. "I was obviously very lucky that my mother didn't give us any titles, so I really commend her on that," she said on the "Rob Burrow Seven, Meets..." podcast.

Grant Harrold, a former royal butler, described Tindall to the Express, saying, "She's down to earth, she's fun, she's naughty." He added, "Anne didn't want her children to have titles so they could have normal lives and do normal things." Normal life is one thing. But if the rumors are true, Tindall took things a step further. She even earned herself the nickname royal rebel. Giving Prince Harry's Nazi costume scandal a run for its money, Tindall reportedly threw a raunchy party with lingerie, sex toys, and a thong-wearing waiter. That's not all. She threw it at her mother's estate.

Speaking about Tindall's nature, her father shared with The Times in 2015 that she was still wild. Tindall disagreed. "I don't know if I was that wild. I guess it looked like that because of my family background. I'm sure that is what it's probably compared to," she explained. Her defense seems fair. On the same subject, Tindall's biographer wrote (via Woman & Home), "She was pushing the boundaries for a young member of the Royal Family in those days."

Zara Tindall lives a lavish life. The royal fame without royal perks sure is a double-edged sword, though. She is not a working royal, and she isn't funded by taxpayers' money. This begs the question of how she can afford her lifestyle. The answer to that might be that there's nothing stopping her from signing commercial contracts. She has made the most of this by doing so with Land Rover, Musto, Rolex, Fairfax & Favor, Magic Millions, and an equestrian jewelry line with Calleija, to name a few. Her husband, Mike Tindall, also appeared on "I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!"

This hasn't been received too kindly by certain critics. Omid Scobie, the former royal executive editor for Yahoo! News, is one of them. In a 2022 piece for Yahoo!, he claimed that "Zara and Mike Tindall regularly cash in on their royal status." He has also questioned other critics for not being outraged about it, while social commentator Dr. Shola Mos-Shogbamimu went so far as to compare the situation to if Meghan Markle were in Mike's place. She wrote on X, "Imagine the hate filled furore if this was Meghan Markle." She went on to ask, "If Mike Tindall earns from being 'a Celebrity' are Brits going to demand tax payers money back?" One could argue that the couple doesn't receive taxpayers' money. That said, the criticism persists. Zara has defended herself, telling the Daily Mail in 2009, "Horses are expensive, and any help with that is brilliant." She added, "I want to stand on my own two feet."

Zara Tindall is among those royals who are anything but traditional. Not just that, she also stands out because she is listed among the richest members of the royal family. It's important to note that this is based on reports from questionable online sources, so it may or may not be true. If it were true, it would be all the more impressive given that she's not benefiting from taxpayers' money. Zara and Mike Tindall's combined fortune is likely around £30 million ($40.3 million). This is said to be from their sponsorship and business income.

While we might not be able to confirm if Zara is, in fact, among the richest royal family members, we can look at her lifestyle and say that she is certainly living an extravagant life. For starters, her wedding to Mike was luxurious to say the least. She has also lived in expensive homes. From Hallery House to Aston Farm, where the Tindalls live now, these homes scream wealth. Design director Kunal Trehan shared some details about Aston Farm with the Express. He explained, "Aston farm resides on the greater 700-acre estate of Gatcombe Park owned by Princess Anne." He added, "There is often some confusion with reference to the main house in which Princess Anne resides, but the seven-bedroom farmhouse Aston Farm is different visually and in size when compared to the main residence." If that isn't enough, the couple has also taken some expensive trips and has a stunning jewelry and car collection.

One can't help but wonder what will happen to Zara Tindall when Prince William becomes king. There have been rumors that Tindall could play a more active role in the royal family. A few developments and reports back this possibility. For one, after King Charles III was diagnosed with cancer, Tindall stepped up to help out. Reports suggest that Charles might even give Tindall the princess title. She is also famously quite close to William. Commentator Angela Mollard told Sky News Australia, "She would be his Princess Anne, as Princess Anne is to the king, when he becomes king."

Reports further suggest that Anne changed her mind about not wanting her kids to be working royals after Charles' cancer diagnosis. A royal insider shed some light on the matter by telling Radar, "For the first time, all of them, especially Anne, started to wonder if it was a mistake to keep them 'duty' free. Having Zara and Peter on the roster would have been an extraordinary help."

On the other hand, Daily Mail Diary Editor Richard Eden contradicted the aforementioned claim that Tindall might receive a title. While on the "Palace Confidential" podcast, he explained why he doesn't think that will happen. "Her [Zara] and Mike Tindall are very popular members of the Royal Family, but I think it is very unlikely to happen," he said. "She's very busy, has lots of business, and it would be awkward." Rebecca English, who is the Daily Mail's Royal Editor, also seems to be on the same page. She said, "It won't happen. I mean, she has obviously a very full life as a professional equestrian with a lot of sport sponsorships."

Royal fans likely wonder about the kind of relationship Queen Elizabeth II had with Zara Tindall. She was even said to be the queen's favorite grandchild at one point. Majesty Magazine's Editor-in-Chief Ingrid Seward shared her views about the matter with The Sun. "I think the Queen is closest to Zara and Peter as they were her first grandchildren and have always been the favourites," she said. This is likely because the two share a common interest: a love for horses. Seward even confirmed this. She revealed, "The Queen has always adored Zara and is so proud of her riding success. They have a lot in common as they talk horses and the Queen has invested in several horses for her."

There also seemed to be an easygoing relationship between them. While speaking to the Express, body language expert Judi James described the relationship between the two as "joyful and even indulgent." She went on to explain her reasoning. "It is perhaps made more relaxed because Zara is not an official member of 'The Firm' and so can see and treat the Queen purely as her grandmother, rather than also being her boss," she suggested. It's not clear whether Tindall was Elizabeth's favorite grandchild. Either way, what can be said is that the two did seem to have shared interests and were likely close.

Before Mike Tindall came into the picture, Zara Tindall was dating jockey Richard Johnson. We've previously seen how Zara hasn't really done things the traditional royal way. That seems to have seeped into this relationship. Case in point: She was in a live-in relationship with him. While a common practice for unmarried couples, being the queen's 20-year-old granddaughter made Zara's living situation somewhat controversial — especially when she and Johnson posed together at home for a Hello! magazine photospread.

Things took a darker turn in 2001 when alleged cheating and public fighting rumors were added to the mix. As reported by the Daily Mail, Zara was said to be flirting with one of Johnson's friends. The situation worsened when the then-couple was seen physically fighting. A chauffeur who witnessed the public display shared a few details with the Daily Mail. He said, "He [Johnson] was asking for his car keys but she wouldn't give them to him. He was swinging at her, she was crying hysterically and tears were running down her face." This supposedly wasn't a one-sided physical fight, though. The same chauffeur also said, "She [Zara] was doing as much as he was. They were kicking and hitting out at each other."

Zara Tindall's husband, Mike Tindall, got in trouble back in 2011. The rugby star was photographed flirting with a woman who wasn't his wife. This took place in a Queenstown nightclub during the Rugby World Cup. IOL reported on the matter, explaining how a "fair-headed beauty" threw herself at the newlywed captain. On the other hand, Mike was said to be "kissing and groping" her while she even "rubbed his face into her breasts."

A witness to the incident shared what he saw, and it makes Mike look worse. He explained how Mike didn't pull back from the woman. Rather, he was "extremely responsive." Going into some more detail, he recalled (via IOL), "They were getting flirty with each other and getting very touchy-feely. Then they went into the doorway, where the girl gestured Mike towards her chest. She pulled his head towards her breasts and she rubbed the back of his head as she did so." As reported by IOL, an insider revealed that Zara was "utterly humiliated" by this. The source explained, "Zara is like her mother — outspoken, fiery and very, very feisty. She adores Mike but won't take this lying down."

Mike wasn't let off the hook so easily here and had to pay the price. As reported by ESPN, he was fined and dropped from the squad for this "misconduct" in Queenstown. The Guardian also reported that Mike initially said that he parted ways with the amorous bar patron after their headline-making encounter. However, he later admitted to misleading England's management about the night, saying he left and joined the woman at a second establishment. Although the matter was quite humiliating, Zara still publicly stood by her husband.