Inside Prince William's Relationship With Zara Tindall

Like her mother Princess Anne, Zara Tindall has proven that she's a royal rebel at heart. Having shocked her relatives with a tongue piercing before venturing into an equestrian career that saw her take home an Olympic medal, Tindall has led a life totally dissimilar to that of her cousin, Prince William. While Tindall, as a non-working royal, has been able to embrace the freedoms that come from a life not bound by duty, William has had to grapple with the inevitability of ascending the throne one day. But for the cousins, these differences in their life experiences have been key to their profound bond.

Of all her cousins, Tindall is especially close to William. Uneasy may lie the head that wears the crown, but William has an ally in his no-nonsense cousin, who has enabled him to get in touch with his more down-to-earth side. "It's a very close relationship," royal commentator Jennie Bond said in the British documentary "Zara & Mike: No Nonsense Royals" (via OK!). "They're very close in age. They've got an awful lot in common. They've got the same Granny, so she's very close to her cousins." 

The cousins may enjoy a super strong bond, but they've also had their ups and downs throughout the years. Here's a look inside Prince William's relationship with Zara Tindall.

Though Prince William had a close relationship with Queen Elizabeth II, insiders have claimed that Her Majesty much preferred Zara Tindall and her brother, Peter Phillips, to the future king. This would fall in line with Elizabeth's ambivalent feelings toward William's father, King Charles III, in contrast to her alleged favoritism of Zara's mom, Princess Anne. "I think the Queen is closest to Zara and Peter as they were her first grandchildren and have always been the favorites," royal expert Ingrid Seward told Fabulous Digital (via The Sun). This apparent favoritism between her grandchildren led to the queen being mighty protective over Tindall, especially when a cheeky William got out of line.

Though William and Tindall, who have an age gap of just one year, have been close since childhood, they, like most children, have also had some squabbles. Appearing on Sky News' "The Queen at 90" documentary (via Marie Claire), William recalled a moment during his childhood in which he incurred the wrath of his grandmother over his treatment of Tindall. He and Peter Phillips were chasing Tindall around Balmoral while she drove a go-cart, which resulted in her crashing into a lamppost. "The lamppost came down and nearly squashed her and I remember my grandmother being the first person out at Balmoral running across the lawn in her kilt," the prince recalled. "She came charging over and gave us the most almighty b******ing, and that sort of stuck in my mind from that moment on."

Despite his immense wealth and privilege, Prince William has led a tragic life. When he was just 15, his mother, Princess Diana, was killed in a car crash in Paris, aged 36. William has been open about the impact of the loss on his mental health, telling GQ in 2017 that he felt he couldn't openly grieve for his mother. Throughout this difficult time in his life, William was supported by his cousin, Zara Tindall.

Immediately after Diana died in 1997, Princess Anne traveled to Balmoral and ensured that she offered her support to William and his now estranged brother, Prince Harry. She brought her daughter along and Tindall subsequently saw her cousins' grief first hand.

In the British documentary "Zara and Anne: Like Mother, Like Daughter" (via Express), it was revealed that for many years William and Harry were Tindall's closest cousins within the royal family. Accordingly, when Diana died, she grew even closer to the grieving brothers and tried her best to take their minds off their traumatic loss. "Not long after Diana died, the Prince of Wales decided they should all go on a skiing holiday. Zara tried to sort of cheer them both up and throw snowballs and they'd have a wrestle in the snow," explained royal biographer Brian Hoey. "She was a huge help, an enormous help to those two and William in particular I think, has always had a huge affection for Zara."

While some royals have tried their best to cultivate careers away from the firm (Prince Edward, for instance, ventured into TV production with notoriously disastrous results), Zara Tindall's career has been nothing short of a success. An acclaimed equestrian, she has been lauded for her sporting achievements.

Prince William is extremely proud of his cousin's triumph as an equestrian. William, Princess Catherine, and Princess Anne even appeared on Mike Tindall's podcast "The Good, The Bad & The Rugby" in 2023, where William shared a sweet story about his cousin. "The only time I've ever cried watching a sport was when Zara won, I think it was the European Championship," William revealed. The prince was unable to make it to watch his cousin's victory, as he was camping in Exmoor at the time. "We were all hustled round the phone and she was there, she was blubbing away, the flag was going up," he continued. "And I was just like, I was in pieces. I was so proud." Catherine also noted how overcome with joy her husband was that day, remarking, "I can remember because you came back and said I've never been so proud of anyone."

William may not have been there for his cousin in person, but he has supported her on numerous occasions since. In 2012, he was seen enthusiastically cheering for Zara at the London Olympics, where she took home a silver medal as part of the eventing team.

Zara Tindall didn't marry a royal, instead falling head over heels for rugby player Mike Tindall. The couple said their "I dos" in July 2011, just three months after Prince William and Princess Catherine got married in a lavish ceremony. William and Catherine were both invited to the wedding, in what marked one of their first public appearances in the U.K. since tying the knot back in April.

Perhaps testament to his immense love for his cousin, William had the time of his life at her wedding. According to sources who dished to Us Weekly, the prince eagerly took charge of a karaoke machine to sing Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer" and partied the night away. "He sang karaoke! Kate stayed down in front of the stage but clapped and cheered while he sang," the source said. "It was amazing. Pretty much everyone stayed up all night. I don't even think Zara and Mike went to bed. They were too busy having fun with their friends."

Just as William is close to Zara, he has also developed a liking to her husband, with sources telling The Telegraph that the former rugby player has become a surrogate brother to the prince. Royal commentator Dickie Arbiter explained that William's rapport with Zara had proven infectious for Mike. "We've seen [this] time and again in William and Mike's interactions," he said. "They are a proper family. They're not playing at it."

There's always reportedly been a sprinkling of tension between Princess Anne and King Charles III over the latter not appointing his sister as godmother to either of his kids (Anne, meanwhile, did make Charles godfather to her son, Peter Phillips). No such bad blood exists between the siblings' respective children, Zara Tindall and Prince William, however.

Following the birth of his first child, Prince George, in 2013, William appointed Tindall as the infant's godmother. In fact, she was the only royal among the godparents William and Princess Catherine had carefully chosen, with the couple eschewing tradition by simply looking to their closest friends, as opposed to fellow royals, as godparents. "I think they are both very keen to choose people as godparents, who are supposed to guide and advise this child, who are normal themselves and aren't foreign royal grandees who this child would have nothing in common with," royal commentator Roya Nikkhah told ABC News.

Appearing in the documentary "Zara & Mike: No Nonsense Royals" (via Express), royal expert Emily Andrews said that William appointing Tindall as George's godmother marked a significant moment in the cousins' relationship, cementing their unwavering bond. Though the godparents of Zara's children remain unknown, there have been suggestions that she returned the favor by making William godfather to her daughter, Mia Tindall. "One can assume that William was godfather as he attended the baptism. He's unlikely to have gone if he were not," royal expert Marlene Koening told Express.

Zara Tindall is neither a working royal nor a princess. This is because her mother, Princess Anne, chose not to give her a title. "I think it was probably easier for them, and I think most people would argue that there are downsides to having titles," Anne told Vanity Fair. "So I think that was probably the right thing to do." Tindall herself has said that she feels lucky that her mom never gave her a title, as it enabled her to have a more normal life. However, Prince William has allegedly tried to give his cousin a bigger role within the royal family.

In 2021, sources told New Idea that William was getting desperate as the number of working royals was diminishing. At the time, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had relocated to the U.S. after giving up royal life, while William's uncle, Prince Andrew, had to step down due to his association with pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein. Subsequently, William was apparently trying to convince Tindall to take on a royal role to help shoulder the burden of duty. "She's still one of the most beloved members of the royal family in the public's eyes ... Wills thinks Zara could be just the tonic to help solve his 'staffing' problem in the years to come — now he just has to convince her of that," the insider said. Tindall never did become a working royal, however.

Part of the reason why Prince William favors Zara Tindall over his other royal cousins lies in her loyalty. In the British documentary "Zara and Anne: Like Mother, Like Daughter" (via the Daily Mail), royal commenter Victoria Arbiter explained that Tindall understood William's need for loyalty like few others. "For William in particular, trust is everything so when you've got a cousin that understands what it is to be a member of the royal family, but they don't have the same pressures associated with it, they can be a tower of strength and support," Arbiter said. "It's Zara's loyalty and total dedication to her family that has made her such an asset to the cousins." Accordingly, the cousins and their kids are a close-knit unit. 

In 2019, the Waleses and the Tindalls were spotted on a family outing with their children. Catherine held her daughter, Princess Charlotte, on her shoulders, while Zara's daughter, Mia Tindall, was resting on William's shoulders. "They were just like any other family, enjoying a day out and having a lovely time," an eagle-eyed observer told the Daily Mail. "There were no tantrums thrown by the kids and they all seemed very down to earth." 

Charlotte also illustrated her close bond with cousin Mia when the two appeared at Christmas service in 2023. A fan offered Charlotte some flowers, but she sweetly told Mia that she could have them instead, proving that the pair have inherited their parents' down-to-earth sensibilities.

In 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made the difficult decision to step back as senior royals. Since then, Prince Harry and Prince William have been locked in a seemingly irreparable feud. This has been particularly difficult for Zara Tindall, as she once enjoyed a super loving relationship with Harry as well as William.

Subsequently, in 2021, insiders told The Sun that Tindall was stuck in the middle, as she tried to play peacemaker between the brothers. During King Charles III's coronation in 2023, Tindall appeared to be in full peacemaker mode, as she seemingly attempted to assuage the family tension by offering comforting gestures to Harry. However, speaking to Express, body language expert Judi James argued that by that point there appeared to be a notable distance between Tindall and Harry. "Zara seemed to make no active effort to display affection for Harry, like their playful, loving hugs and whispers of old, but there was a point when they did at least appear to acknowledge each other," James observed. 

In 2024, it was reported that Tindall was distancing herself further from Harry, suggesting that she had chosen a side in the William/Harry feud. That year, her husband, Mike Tindall, also appeared to make his allegiance resoundingly clear when he dismissed claims that he would be taking part in Harry's Invictus Games. "It's not something he will take an active role in moving forward," a source told Express.

In the wake of those outlandish conspiracy theories surrounding Princess Catherine's disappearance in 2024, it was revealed that she had been diagnosed with cancer. The announcement came just several weeks after King Charles III's cancer diagnosis. With both his wife and father being treated for cancer, Prince William needed all the support he could get.

Thankfully, Zara Tindall was on hand to help the prince through yet another difficult period in his life. "[Zara is] also very close to Charles and has been a huge help to both him and William during his awful year," an insider told Us Weekly. "Zara has been a breath of fresh air. She's loved by the public as she's fun and unpretentious."

Appearing at Royal Ascot three months after Catherine went public with her diagnosis, Tindall was seen offering support to her cousin. "Hi, lovely to see you, are you okay?" a seemingly concerned Tindall apparently asked William, who attended the event without Catherine, per the Daily Mail. In a sweet gesture, Tindall was also seen linking arms with William as the pair chatted during the sporting event, perhaps taking his mind off his personal struggles. "The Tindalls are very much the glue of their generation of royals and bring the fun to a family gathering, no matter how serious the occasion," a source told The Times earlier that year. "They can help take the family's mind off the gravity of what is going on."

With his relationship with Prince Harry in pieces, Prince William has sometimes come across as a lonely figure as he fulfills his royal duties without his brother by his side. Speaking to Fox News, royal author Christopher Andersen claimed that Princess Catherine was holding out hope that her husband would reconcile with his brother. "Of course, Kate would like nothing better than to have the brothers kiss and make up," Andersen said. "It would be one less cloud hanging over the royal family's head. But above all else, Kate is loyal to her husband."

But in the absence of his brother, William does have a symbolic sibling in Zara Tindall. "She's kind of like the big sister William never had," a source told Us Weekly. It's a sentiment echoed by royal author Ingrid Seward, who told Hello! that Tindall has always been there to allow William embrace his lighter side, whilst offering the utmost support to her surrogate brother. "She is very bright and intuitive about people," Seward said. "And she has the best of both worlds. She understands what royal life is like, but she can live her life as she chooses, without the pressure faced by more senior royals."