King Charles has been urged to consider bringing the Tindall family into a more active role within the Royal Family.
According to YouGov polling, Zara Tindall consistently ranks as the sixth most popular royal and the eighth most popular public figure, surpassing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is ninth, and Queen Camilla, who is eleventh.
The Tindalls, along with other Royal Family members such as the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children, were seen attending the Christmas church service at Sandringham together.
The close relationship between the Tindalls and the royal couple has prompted some commentators to suggest that the Tindalls should be given a more prominent role within the Royal Family.
Former Downing Street head of press for David Cameron, Giles Kenningham, said: “The big question for Buckingham Palace is always one of relevance and whether the Royal Family are seen as relatable and people feel able to engage with them.
“The Tindalls work very well on that level – they have had their own careers, they are independent financially and they conduct themselves well. You certainly don’t see them staggering out of the back of bars.
“This really comes down to the future of the Royal Family. There are objectively very few [royals] who are relatable and lead normal lives in the sort of way that the Tindalls do.
“But at the same time, they have been very good at leading private lives away from most of the sort of scrutiny that comes with doing the royal job. The question is would they be willing or able to make that sort of sacrifice?”
The late Queen Elizabeth was reportedly fond of Mike Tindall, the Yorkshire-born Rugby World Cup champion and son of a bank manager and social worker, appreciating his strong sense of humor and his ease in royal settings.
Princess Anne, known for being one of the hardest-working royals in terms of public engagements, made it clear that she did not want her children, Zara and Peter Phillips, to receive royal titles, intending to encourage them to lead independent lives.
Zara once said: “I was lucky my mother didn’t give us any titles, so I really commend her on that. We were very lucky that we got to do things a bit our way.”
The Tindalls have become closer to Prince William and Princess Catherine, with some suggesting the bond has become stronger since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle moved to California.
One former adviser added: “Mike and Zara Tindall are rarities in the sense that they’re the sort of royalty that people think they could have a pint and a laugh with in the pub, or a quick chat in the supermarket about the best pizza.
“You can see from the Palace’s point of view, it would make perfect sense to have them in a more engaged role. They would be PR gold dust.”
