Zara and Mike Tindall weren’t about to miss Day 1 of this year’s Cheltenham Festival and, sure enough, we saw the couple enjoying the races in their finery. Zara Tindall’s cropped coat and teal blouse were a gorgeous combination for a chilly March day and her husband was dapper in a flat cap, shirt and trousers.
However, it wasn’t just their outfits but their body language that struck me as they watched the racing throughout the day. Zara and Mike strolled around Cheltenham Racecourse holding hands and though it seems such a small thing, it’s actually very rare for the royals to do this.
It doesn’t matter whether they’re at Wimbledon or an official visit, we never really see the Prince and Princess of Wales holding hands and this was apparently one of Queen Elizabeth’s "traditional" protocols.
According to body language expert Darren Stanton, the late Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip also didn’t display this kind of affection in public and their approach could be inspiring the Prince and Princess of Wales in particular.
He previously told Fabulous, "Kate and William play a very important role in the Royal family now as the Prince and Princess of Wales. As they are next in line to the throne and are preparing to become King and Queen themselves one day, they use and follow the traditional royal protocols of the late Queen."
Other royals like Duchess Sophie and Prince Edward also observe this custom, though Zara and Mike aren’t working royals and so have more freedom to move away from traditions like this and take a modern approach.
They don’t shy away from physical touch and their warmth with each other also showcases their relaxed personalities and forges a connection with people.
"What truly endears them to the public is their evident affection and wicked senses of humour," woman&home magazine’s Royal Correspondent Emily Andrews said in our March issue. "They are not afraid of public displays of affection or a bit of playful banter."
She described Mike’s royal episode of his The Good, The Bad & The Rugby podcast as "one of the most humanising and relaxed royal interviews ever". Speaking with Princess Anne, Prince William and Kate at Windsor Castle, Mike showed them as a "funny, engaged and distinctly down-to-earth unit" who might "all jump on the family WhatsApp group to chat and exchange jokes".
Zara and Mike Tindall feel inherently like a couple who are pretty much the same behind closed doors as they are when we see them out and about - and their hand-holding at Cheltenham signalled this once again. As an avid racing fan, Zara is usually there every day of the festival though it’s lovely to see her joined by Mike for Day 1.
The couple will be celebrating their 15th wedding anniversary in July and they’ve been together for over two decades. Asked about her secret to a happy marriage at the 2025 Beauty Awards, the King’s niece had some very heart-warming and realistic advice.
"We've been together for 21 years,' Zara said. "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."
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