Prince William Reaches out to Important Family Member Amidst Royals' Time of Need

The prince is reportedly looking for help with public-facing duties from royals who have been in the background for years.

By Michael Hein

Prince William reportedly reached out to his cousin and trusted confidante Zara Tindall this summer as he strategizes for the future of the British royal family. Tindall is the daughter of Princess Anne – Prince William's aunt and the sister of King Charles III – but Tindall does not use royal styles of address for herself. Nevertheless, a source close to Prince William told New Idea that he is calling on her as the monarchy faces challenges.

"William and Zara have always been close," the insider said. "The bond has strengthened since they married their respective spouses, Catherine and Mike, and also had their children at around the same time. William trusts Zara so it makes sense for him to ask her to step up in a more official capacity. If he asks Zara for help, she will be there for him, without question."

The magazine noted that the royal family typically spend most of August at Balmoral Castle in Scottland for an extended summer vacation, but this year they carried on working there as well. Insiders said that the king and his heir organized "an unofficial family summit," which is the context in which the prince called on Tindall.

The source said that the king advised Prince William to call on Tindall for public appearances and other high-profile work, as his options for those kinds of allies are dwindling. They noted that the prince has no intention of making up with his brother, Prince Harry any time soon, and even if they did, Harry has left royal duties behind. Meanwhile, Prince William does not want to call on his cousins Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice because of their disgraced father, Prince Andrew.

That leaves Tindall as his best option, though the sources said Prince William has been stubbornly avoiding any calls for help in the first place. They said: "He'll swallow his pride and ask for her help. He knows it makes sense."

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Tindall, 43, was born sixth in line to the British throne, and is 24th in line at the time of this writing. She is the second child of Princess Anne and Capt. Mark Phillips following her older brother, Peter Phillips. Tindall was a star athlete growing up and graduated from the University of Exeter as a physiotherapist. After college, she had a successful career as an equestrian, eventually competing in the 2012 London Olympics. She and her horse High Kingdom won a silver medal in the team event, and Princess Anne presented the award to her daughter.

Tindall's husband, Mike Tindall is a professional rugby player. They met at a rugby event in 2003, and married in 2011. They settled in Gloucestshire, England in a seven-bedroom estate. Tindall had a daughter, Mia Grace in 2014 and another, Lena Elizabeth in 2018. Their son, Lucas Philip was born in 2021. Tindall is the godmother of Prince William's eldest son, Prince George of Wales.

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