THEY are the loved-up royals who can do no wrong.
Now down-to-earth Zara Tindall, 42, and hubby Mike, 45, have earned the Hollywood seal of approval — hanging out with Thor actor Chris Hemsworth and his model wife Elsa Pataky.
In fact, the couple seem to have what Zara’s cousin Prince Harry and Meghan Markle so desperately crave — popularity across the board.
From pals such as former rugby player Mike’s ex-England team-mate James Haskell and ex-Formula One ace David Coulthard to an unlikely alliance with Corrie star Sue Cleaver — plus friendships with big names including Marvel actor Tom Holland — the Tindalls have universal appeal.
While Harry and Meghan face failure in their business ventures, Princess Anne’s daughter and Mike — with a combined net worth of £30million from mega-bucks sponsorships and TV gigs — make earning cash look easy.
The couple were last week pictured on a double date with Chris and Elsa in Australia, before larking about at the Magic Millions Race Day with Prince Harry’s Argentinian polo pal Nacho Figueras and his wife Delfina Blaquier.
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Nacho, labelled the David Beckham of polo, has spent several days with the Tindalls Down Under to promote the event — a deal which is reported to be making them £1.5million.
It comes as Zara was declared the fifth most popular royal, behind the late Queen, her mum and The Prince and Princess of Wales.
In contrast, Harry and Meghan came 12th and 13th in the YouGov poll, with only Prince Andrew — embroiled in the Epstein sex scandal — rating lower.
But how have the Tindalls managed to outshine Harry and Meghan, once dubbed the fresh, modern future of the monarchy?
They are authentic and much more laid back
An expert told The Sun: “They offer all the perks of hanging out with royalty without any of the drama that comes with the Sussexes.”
Sean O’Meara, of PR agency Essential Content, added: “They are relatable in a way that Harry and Meghan aren’t.
“America and Hollywood are less impressed by birthright, and Mike and Zara’s personal sporting achievements alongside being a member of the Royal Family make them very appealing outside the UK.
“The couple are less high-profile than Harry and Meghan, whose presentation looks very stiff in comparison. They come across as authentic and much more laid back.
“The Sussexes want to manage everything to the nth degree and control the narrative, which can make things look very staged.
“They don’t show much of a sense of humour either. Harry and Meghan have complained a lot and possibly misunderstood how that would be perceived in the UK.”
It is also said that people respect the Tindalls’ discretion.
Sean said: “The Queen had a mantra of never complain, never explain — and the Tindalls seem to follow that motto.
“Public moaning is never a good look, especially among the privileged. Mike and Zara appear to be a fun-loving couple who appreciate what they have got in life. It might be that they moan behind closed doors, but they don’t do it publicly.”
The couple have long been praised for being so relatable.
From Mike’s shock admission that he tore his trousers during a “s*** drop” in front of his mother in law, the Princess Royal, Zara getting her tongue pierced in her teens, and talking about the pain of miscarriage, they do not shy away from discussing life’s ups and downs.
Mike’s relationship with the royals — the late Queen was said to adore him, while the public gushed over snaps of him hugging Prince George after a Christmas church service — has also endeared him to everyone.
The former rugby ace and Zara — who was raised without a royal title — met on a night out in Oz during the 2003 Rugby World Cup.
He later said: “First actual date, just went out locally. And ended up being quite a boozy one. Then we figured out that we both quite like getting smashed. It was a good start.”
They married in a low-key 2011 ceremony at Edinburgh’s Canongate Kirk, reportedly with a vodka fountain, not a chocolate one, at the reception.
Mike found himself in hot water just two months later when CCTV showed him close to an old girl friend in a bar while on tour in Queensland.
A dwarf-throwing contest was in full swing at the boozer.
His new wife was quick to fly around the world to see him and laughed off the incident, telling pals she had no worries about him cheating.
While Mike has mellowed since his hard-drinking rugby days, the pair still love to let their hair down together, and were allegedly seen “stumbling” in the street and taking in the bunting in London the night before the King’s Coronation.
Both have had roads bans — Mike for drink-driving in 2000 and 2009, and Zara for speeding in the Cotswolds in 2020. Yet their problems have not dented their popularity.
Their first child, Mia, came along in January 2014, with sister Lena following in June 2018 and son Lucas arriving in March 2021.
The couple later revealed they had suffered two miscarriages between the births of their two daughters.
Zara told The Sunday Times: “I had to go through having the baby because it was so far along. “I then had another miscarriage really early on. It was a time when my family came to the fore — and I needed them.”
Zara’s openness was credited with reducing the stigma around miscarriages and helped Meghan open up about her baby loss in July 2020, when son Archie was one.
She later wrote movingly about her heartache and, in his book Spare, Harry told how he and Meghan wept.
Despite naysayers warning Mike not to do I’m A Celebrity in 2022, his stint in the TV jungle boosted the couple’s profile and earned him that unexpected friend in Coronation Street actress Sue Cleaver.
He left viewers gobsmacked with the confession he “s***-dropped” in front of Princess Anne at Zara’s 30th birthday party.
He told campmates: “It was a disco, a 70s-themed one. I was on the dance floor, I had flares on, full outfit, but it was quite tight . . . I was dancing and I did a slt-drop in front of my mother-in-law. Ripped my trousers, straight in front of her. My boxers said ‘nibble my nuts’.”
The fun-loving royals have enjoyed Jagermeister on the golf course with David Coulthard and been spotted with Spider-Man actor Tom Holland at the Monaco Grand Prix last year.
Popular, hard-working and with a shared love of sport, Zara — an Olympic equestrian silver medal winner — and Mike, a 75-times capped rugby player, fit into any circle.
As well as starring in reality shows such as The Jump, Bear Grylls: Mission Survive and I’m A Celebrity, Mike has been in adverts for Domino’s Pizza and Amazon, while Zara has big-money deals with Rolex watches and Range Rover.
Meanwhile, the Sussexes had their £18million Spotify deal axed last year and exec Bill Simmons labelled them “f***ing grifters”.
Meghan’s animated series Pearl was also quietly dumped by Netflix the previous year at the development stage.
Royal commentator Duncan Larcombe says while the Tindalls seem to have genuine friendships, the Sussexes mix with people such as entertainment giant Oprah Winfrey, who can help boost their careers or profiles.
He added: “Whether Harry and Meghan admit it or not, it’s all about the 000s on the cheque, and their friendships seem to revolve around business. It’s the total opposite for the Tindalls.
“They are both incredibly successful in their own right, yet neither have ever played much of their royal card.
“Zara’s mum decided when Zara was born that she wouldn’t have a title. That appears to have been a master-stroke. They are royals when they need to be but not hangers-on. They don’t spout their opinions or try to change the world.
“They are just a normal family getting on with their lives.
“They fly on normal planes, don’t have nannies and turn up for charity work without fanfare.
“There are no airs and graces. Zara did quite well out of a deal with Range Rover, reportedly worth £200,000 a year, but you could argue the deal is just as much down to her success at the Olympics.”
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PR guru Sean added: “They seem like a very down-to-earth couple. People look at them as human beings as opposed to royals, which is totally different for the Sussexes.
“This is a scandal-free couple who look like they are good company, good fun and are not ashamed to show affection to each other.”