Zara Tindall opened up about her 14-year marriage to Mike Tindall and explained how the couple have kept their spark alive for over a decade.
The daughter of Princess Anne and the former England rugby player rarely make any comments about their relationship, which began in 2003.
Since their nuptials in Scotland in 2011, the pair have welcomed three children together; Mia Grace, 12, Lena Elizabeth, seven, and Lucas Philip, four.
While attending the Beauty Awards, the 44-year-old royal spoke candidly about her relationship and said the secret to a happy, long-lasting marriage is to accept that “nothing runs smoothly ever” but that “you’ve got to have fun” always.
She continued telling the Daily Mail: “We’ve been together for 21 years. Nothing runs smoothly ever. You’ve got to accept that in life. It’s a work-in-progress [but] you’ve got to have fun.”
A match made in Oz
Gearing up to celebrate their 15th wedding anniversary this coming summer, Zara first ran into the sporting star at the Manly Wharf Bar in Sydney, Australia.
At the time, Mike, 47, was playing for England in the Rugby World Cup, and the young royal was enjoying her gap year.
After being dropped from the starting line-up before the semi-final, Mike’s famous trip to the bar led to a meeting that would change his life forever. After around seven years of dating, the lovers became husband and wife.
© Getty ImagesThe sports star explained their first date was lunch in a local restaurant that went on to become quite “boozy” as the pair got to know one another.
Mike previously shared details about his relationship with the royal family after striking up a romance with Zara. He told the Sunday Times Magazine: “We’d go on a Friday night to watch the match and stop over at Zara’s.
“Sometimes we’d all go out for lunch with Zara’s mum on Sunday before we went home. We spent quite a bit of time with her dad, too. Prince Harry would often be round watching the rugby, so, slowly and quietly, we got to meet them all – and that’s how it went on for quite a few years.”
The rugby player popped the question in 2010 at the couple’s former Cheltenham home. Opting for a low-key proposal during a movie night, Mike asked to marry her with a split-shank diamond engagement ring thought to be worth £140,000.
While she rarely speaks about her family, Zara did tell HELLO! about how they find time to relax, especially during holidays to the country where her love story with Mike first began. She said: “The kids have spent some time in Australia and really like it. What is not to like about sun, surf, sea and a really chilled out atmosphere?”
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