Zara Tindall ROYAL REBEL to MODERN MUM

THE QUEEN’S ELDEST GRANDDAUGHTER FINDS THE PERFECT BALANCE BETWEEN FAMILY AND DUTY AS SHE TURNS 40

- Kylie Walters

She was the teen royal rebel who showed off a brand new piercing to her Windsor relatives by sticking out her tongue during her uncle Prince Charles’ 50th birthday party in 1998. But as Zara Tindall celebrated her 40th birthday on May 15, it’s clear the eldest granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth has forged a successful life outside of the royal fold, finding the perfect balance between her private and public lives.

The daughter of Princess Anne lives a low-key life with her husband, former England rugby union captain Mike Tindall, 42, at Gatcombe Park, on her mother’s estate in Gloucestershire. The couple married in 2011 after meeting in 2003. The haven allows the couple to raise their three children – daughters Mia, 7, Lena, 2, and son Lucas, who they welcomed in March – largely out of the spotlight.