Princess Anne’s Son-in-Law Mike Tindall Makes First Public Outing Since His Father’s Death
Zara Tindall was by her husband’s side as they attended an athletic event
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NEED TO KNOW
- Mike Tindall stepped out with his wife, Zara, for the first time since announcing his father’s death
- Mike and Zara attended the Laver Cup, an indoor tennis tournament in London, where they chatted with Roger Federer
- Phil Tindall had been battling Parkinson’s, a diagnosis he received in 2003
Mike Tindall is stepping out for the first time since the death of his father, Phil Tindall, who died this month at age 80.
Days after publicly sharing the sad news, Princess Anne’s son-in-law attended the Laver Cup indoor tennis tournament in London on Friday, Sept. 25. He was with his wife of 15 years, Zara, and they were photographed chatting with tennis star Roger Federer during the event. The couple also posed for a photo with three of the players: Learner Tien, Francisco Cerundolo and Casper Ruud.
Mike, 47, revealed that his father “passed away last week” in the Sept. 23 episode of his podcast, The Good, The Bad & The Rugby.
The former professional rugby player went on to thank Otley Rugby Club in West Yorkshire, where Phil played and served as the club’s captain in the 1970s, for honoring his father at their match over the weekend with a moment of silence.
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“That little moment, I got to watch it. Someone recorded it, sent it to me, and then they wrote a little thing in the programme as well, which I read,” Mike said on the podcast. “But thank you very much to Otley Rugby Club for it.”
Phil was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2003, and Mike frequently took part in charity events to raise money and awareness for the condition. In 2020, Mike told the Daily Mail that his father’s disease had gotten worse.
“My dad has had Parkinson’s for the past 17 years,” he said. “Over the last few years, I’ve really seen him deteriorate.”
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Mike recalled that the effects of the disease were noticeable around the time of his 2011 wedding to Zara, and said his father’s physical decline had included curvature of the spine and subsequent medical problems.
Mike also spoke about how much his father had meant to him and how difficult it was to see the limitations the disease had placed on him.
“He would love to play more with the grandkids, he’d love to be able to pick them up, throw them around,” he told BBC Breakfast in 2021.
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The former professional athlete has also praised his wife for her support, calling her “brilliant” in a 2021 interview with the BBC.
“She sort of gets it,” Mike added about Zara’s support. “She sort of keeps me on my toes as well a little bit with it, and where we are in terms of finding out more about new drugs that are coming out and new trials and everything else.”
“Yeah, she’s good at making sure I stay on my toes about what I’m trying to do as well,” he added.
