Zara and Mike Tindall reveal overseas trip without Mia, Lena and Lucas after family Christmas

Zara and Mike Tindall are expected to be among the royals gathering at Sandringham for Christmas.

But the sporty couple are set to leave the UK shortly after the festive family reunion, it has been revealed.

The Tindalls will be jetting off to Australia to take part in Magic Millions carnival, which includes polo, showjumping and racing.

But Mike and Zara will be leaving their three young children – Mia, ten, Lena, six, and three-year-old Lucas – in the UK.

Their trip has been confirmed in an interview with Australian Financial Review Magazine, which confirms: "She and Mike will have to leave the children at home again when they visit Australia, after Christmas with the Royal Family in Sandringham, since school starts again in January."

Equestrian Zara, 43, has been involved with Magic Millions for over a decade and is patron for the Magic Millions Racing Women initiative.

Australia holds fond memories for Princess Anne's daughter as the 2003 Rugby World Cup in Sydney was where Zara met future husband Mike.

Expressing her love for Australia, the mum-of-three said: "We love the lifestyle and the weather obviously is incredible. It's just very relaxed. We've got a lot of friends out there."

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But they've both ruled out a move Down Under with Mike previously telling HELLO! last year: "Never say never but it’s not on the cards, people try to say that we almost did, but we never almost did. It's never been an actual thing where we’ve looked for a house or anything.

"We love Australia a lot and we love the lifestyle, I think it's brilliant for kids but whether we could actually move there, we're not sure."

Zara and Mike tied the knot at Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh on 30 July 2011, with eldest daughter Mia arriving in 2014, followed by Lena in 2018 and son Lucas in 2021.

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The family reside at a seven-bedroom farmhouse on Aston Farm, complete with a "party barn," on Princess Anne's sprawling Gatcombe Park estate in Gloucestershire.

The couple have previously shared how their children are following in their sporty footsteps, with Mia and Lena both having learned how to ride and playing rugby for their local club.

In their interview, Zara also shared how her weekends involve "taking the dogs out first thing followed by the mad dash of the school run, with swimming and hockey for the kids at weekends".