Princess Anne's daughter Zara Tindall is a well-known equestrian as well as a member of the royal family and mum-of-three children.
Zara, 43, shares daughters Mia, ten, and Lena, five, along with her son, Lucas, three, with her husband and former England rugby player Mike Tindall.
The family live in the countryside idyll of the Gatcombe Estate located in England's beautiful Cotswolds, and have family babysitters close by as her mother and brother live on the same estate.
We often see the Tindall family enjoying quality time together at Zara's many horse-riding events, with Mike and the children supporting their mother.
At HELLO!, we're always fascinated to read about royal mums' pregnancy and birth stories, as despite their stature and titles, regal women go through the same motherhood experiences as us.
Read on to learn about Zara Tindall's pregnancies…
© GettyZara's pregnancy with her first baby Mia
Zara and Mike announced they were expecting their first child back in 2013, with a statement from Buckingham Palace that read: "Mr and Mrs Mike Tindall are very pleased to announce that Zara Tindall is expecting a baby in the new year."
Her parents Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips were said to be "delighted" with the news; Mia was the Princess Royal's third grandchild and the late Queen Elizabeth II's fourth great-grandchild.
© gettyEarlier in 2013, Zara had said the couple were not in a rush to have children, but it seemed the pair felt broody earlier than expected.
Zara said: "Before we got married, everyone was like, 'When are you going to get married'. Then as soon as we were, it was, 'When are you having kids?'. In the future we'll see what happens, but we're not, sort of, putting a date down."
© GettyThe royal also continued with her beloved sport of horse riding during her pregnancy, with a spokesperson for Zara confirming she would still compete in equestrian events:
"She will definitely be back in the saddle soon," the spokesperson said. "It's business as usual at the moment."
She went on to stress that Zara is: "Following all medical advice from her doctors. She is being sensible about this and listening to what the doctors are telling her. She couldn't be happier about this baby and would never put her pregnancy in jeopardy."
© Joe Giddens - PA ImagesMia Tindall arrived into the world on 17 January 2014 at the Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, weighing 7lbs 12oz.
Zara's heartbreaking baby losses
Sadly, in between Zara's pregnancies with Mia and her second baby, Lena, she experienced two miscarriages.
In December 2016, a spokeswoman for the couple released a statement, saying: "Very sadly, Zara and Mike Tindall have lost their baby. At this difficult time, we ask that everyone respects their privacy." Their pregnancy had been announced the month before.
In a joint interview with her brother, Peter Phillips, for The Sunday Times Magazine’s Relative Values feature, opened up about her miscarriages. She explained: "I think you need to go through a period where you don’t talk about it because it’s too raw. But, as with everything, time’s a great healer."
Zara also told BBC Breakfast presenter Sally Nugent: "I think that's the hardest thing in our situation, is that everyone knew". She added: "And very much when things like that happen, normally it's just your family and friends, but unfortunately everyone knew about it."
Zara's pregnancy with her daughter Lena
The Tindalls announced their pregnancy via their spokesperson in January 2018, which read: "The Queen and members of the royal family were very pleased to hear this news."
Incidentally, Prince William and Princess Kate were expecting their third baby in the same year, so there was much excitement at the palace.
© GettyZara was eight months pregnant with Lena when she and Mike attended the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's wedding in May 2018. Speaking about the royal wedding to the Daily Telegraph, Zara confessed that she did feel "uncomfortable" as she explained her unborn baby had been kicking during the ceremony.
"I was uncomfortable! My bum sort of slid over either side and Lena kicked the hell out of me for an hour," she admitted. "It just wasn't comfy at all and it probably showed on my face."
During the ceremony, Bishop Michael Curry's speech delivered a 13-minute speech, with Zara later commenting: "It was just the general amount of time everything was taking."
She continued: "I think my face was probably caught the point when I thought, 'Right he's going to finish now' and then he went off on another little story and it was like, 'Really?'"
© Getty ImagesLena was born on 18 June 2018 at the Stroud Maternity Unit of Gloucestershire Royal hospital, weighing a healthy 9lbs3oz
Zara's pregnancy with her son Lucas
It was happy news once again for the Tindalls in December 2020 when doting dad Mike revealed the couple were expecting another baby.
Speaking on the podcast, The Good, The Bad & The Rugby podcast, he divulged: "It's been a good week for me, had a little scan last week – third Tindall on its way."
He joked: "I'd like a boy this time. I've got two girls, I would like a boy. I'll love it, whether a boy or a girl – but please be a boy."
"We haven't told Mia yet because we knew she would tell everyone at school," the dad explained. "Now that we've gone through the scan, yes, of course we'll tell her."
© David Hartley/ShutterstockZara was pregnant during the COVID-19 pandemic, so the family's lifestyle was far more pared down than usual, as equestrian events were cancelled.
Mike told The Times: "It’s been really low-key. She doesn’t have to go outside or worry about what to wear; you’re not going to events so from Zara’s side it’s been a lot easier than normal. Obviously, it’s easier if the kids are going to school.”
Zara and Mike welcomed baby Lucas, in March 2021, at home in their bathroom, on Sunday 21 March, weighing 8lbs 4oz.
At the time, a spokeswoman for the couple confirmed: "Zara and Mike Tindall are happy to announce the birth of their third child, Lucas Philip Tindall."
