There is a new royal baby on the way! Zara Tindall is pregnant with her third baby, her husband Mike Tindall has confirmed. The former England star announced the news on The Good, The Bad & The Rugby podcast, telling his co-hosts James Haskell and Alex Payne: "It's been a good week for me, had a little scan last week – third Tindall on its way."
READ: The Queen reacts to news of Zara Tindall's third pregnancy
He continued: "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!" To groans from one of his co-hosts, Mike then joked: "We're not sure what to do Covi or Covina – I don't know where to go with names."
WATCH: Meet the Queen's great-grandchildren
Zara, 39, and Mike, 42, have been married since July 2011 and are parents to two little girls: Mia, six, and two-year-old Lena.
SEE: Zara & Mike Tindall's house is nothing like other royal homes - inside
The Queen's granddaughter endured two miscarriages before welcoming little Lena. Touching upon their previous heartbreak, Mike said: "Z is very good, always careful because of things that have happened in the past, and really looking forward to it."
MORE: Mike Tindall gives rare insight into daughters' relationship with the Queen
Asked about the baby's due date, Mike remained tight-lipped and replied: "We like to play our cards close to the chest." But he revealed his eldest child has not been told the good news: "We haven't told Mia yet because we knew she would tell everyone at school. Now that we've gone through the scan, yes (of) course we'll tell her.
Zara and Mike Tindall are expecting their third child together
"She'll be happy about it, she's been requesting another sister or brother, so we've hopefully fulfilled that role for her. She just wants something different now. Lena's growing up - she's two-and-a-half now - she wants something younger to play with and dress up!"
MORE: Mike Tindall tells story of meeting the royals ahead of wedding with Zara
Both Zara and Mike are devoted parents, with the proud dad occasionally sharing snippets of their home life together. Earlier this year, he spoke about their experience of home-schooling during lockdown and their decision to send Mia back into full-time education.
SEE: Princess Anne's gorgeous wedding photo of Mike & Zara Tindall on display at home
He told Lorraine Kelly: "You weigh it up, the school she's at have done a fantastic job in how they've prepared. She was ready to go back, she was missing her friends and missing that interaction."
The couple are proud parents to daughters Mia and Lena
Of Mia's first day back at school, he explained: "I'll always remember her face coming out the first day, she'd had a blast catching up with and seeing everyone. It was a bit of a no-brainer for us, in terms of not just her wellbeing and mental wellbeing, but for us, home-schooling... I think it was definitely needed."
Zara won't be the only member of the royal family welcoming a new arrival in 2021. Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank are expecting their first baby together early next year, with Buckingham Palace confirming their happy news in September.
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