Zara and Mike Tindall's marriage behind closed doors from huge royal plans to heartbreak

They may not be working members of the Royal Family, but Mike and Zara Tindall are certainly among the most popular members of the Firm.

Their shared easy-going nature, cheeky sense of humour and sweet relationship, coupled with their appreciation of the traditions of the monarchy, seems to have endeared them to the public. And their loving partnership is set to be celebrated today as the pair mark 14 years of marriage. It was in July 2011, just months after Zara's close cousin Prince William tied the knot with wife Kate, that the Tindalls finally got hitched.

Since that day, the couple has seen highs with the births of their children Mia, 11, Lena, seven, and four-year-old Lucas, as well as weathering the heartbreak of miscarriage.

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But despite the trials and tribulations, 14 years on, the couple has stood the test of time - putting in cosy, loved-up appearances at the likes of Royal Ascot and Wimbledon, as well as being seen letting their hair down at parties with celebrity pals and at music festivals.

And former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond tells the Mirror the secret to their strong marriage. She explained: "I think Mike and Zara have everything going for them, they are clearly still madly in love, they don't take themselves or life too seriously, and they know how to have a whole load of fun.

"Probably more important than any of that, they are really good friends. And that's really how it started, 22 years ago. They met in Australia, bonded over a love of sport - and went out for a boozy lunch. 'We realised we both like to get smashed', Mike later said!

"It didn't hurt that Zara was, and remains, an extremely beautiful woman, and Mike has the rugged looks of an international rugby star. They are both huge favourites in the royal family, lighting up any occasion with their vivacious good humour."

The couple's love story goes all the way back to 2003, when it was actually Zara's other cousin, Prince Harry, who introduced her to former England international rugby star Mike.

It came after Mike, who had been Down Under for the 2003 rugby World Cup, had been drowning his sorrows in a Sydney bar after being dropped for the England team's semi-final match, when he was introduced to the now 22nd in line to the throne.

After their chance meeting and Mike returning to the team for the final to win the tournament, they returned to the UK - and Zara extended an invite to her new love interest to a ball and from there the pair began spending more and more time together, eventually announcing their romance in 2004.

Mike once recalled: "She said, 'Do you want to come to the North Cotswold Ball?'. I said, 'Why not?' We became mates, really. Eventually, it was one of those things where you realise you're spending all your time with someone, and it went to the next level."

Mike then popped the question back in 2010, and a year later, they married in a beautiful ceremony in Edinburgh attended by the entire Royal Family with Zara wearing a stunning gown by Stewart Parvin, a favourite designer of her beloved grandmother, the late Queen.

Speaking about their romance, Mike previously said: "I've never been in love before, but Zara is the love of my life. No doubt." After supporting Mike's sporting triumph in 2003, a year after they married, Zara enjoyed a high in her career, winning a silver medal in three-day eventing at the London 2012 Olympics - cheered all the way by her then-new husband.

In 2014, they welcomed Mia, and suffered two devastating miscarriages before welcoming Lena several years later. Lucas was born in 2021, with Zara memorably giving birth on the bathroom floor at their home in Gloucestershire as a close pal delivered the baby.

As the daughter of Princess Anne and a niece of King Charles, Zara and, indeed, Mike, are firm fixtures at royal events, joining the family for the likes of Christmas at Sandringham and being especially close to the Prince and Princess of Wales and their three children.

But as neither of them has royal titles or formal royal roles, both have busy careers with Zara continuing with her illustrious equestrian career and earning sponsorship deals with brands such as Rolex.

Mike, meanwhile, has retired from rugby but has become something of a media personality, co-hosting a rugby podcast, having a hilarious Instagram account - and even doing a stint in the jungle on ITV's I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here, finishing in a respectable fourth place.

He's no stranger to giving insights on what goes on behind palace walls, memorably revealing his unflattering 'One Pint Willy' nickname for Prince William, his cosy lunches with the late Queen watching the horse racing and how he felt he easily fitted into the Firm after being welcomed - seen as some as a dig at the Duchess of Sussex, who said her experience was very different.

In a recent book, he wrote: "Believe it or not, marrying into the royal family was pretty easy for me. They were always nice to me, and I was always nice to them. Simple really."

Meanwhile, on I'm A Celeb, he revealed an eyebrow-raising story about how some rather energetic dance moves at a birthday party led him to splitting his trousers in front of his mother-in-law Anne, revealing his boxer shorts that had the words 'nibble my nuts' printed on them.

And just last year, in a joint podcast interview with the late rugby league and Motor Neurone disease campaigner Rob Burrow, the Tindalls gave a cheeky sneak peek into their marriage, revealing the private nicknames they have for each other.

Mike said: "We basically call each other munchkins a lot. I don't know why that started, but it has stuck. I will let Zara decide whether she wants to give away what I am down in her phone as.." And later in the chat, Zara revealed: "He is in my phone as something else, and it ends with kitten."

But despite the interviews and their successful careers, they have steered clear of any royal controversy. And Jennie added: "Somehow, possibly thanks to the fact that neither has a title or is a working royal, they have both managed to combine commercial careers with being part of the royal family and attending formal occasions.

"Sometimes Mike has given a bit more away than expected, for example, his boxer shorts 'nibble my nuts' moment with his mother-in-law, but somehow, he can get away with it.

"And that's because he seems to be a thoroughly decent bloke, not over-awed by being part of the royal family, and yet respectful of all they represent. He just knows how to fit in easily and in a relaxed way. Mike is increasingly the brother William no longer has; they are really firm friends and big huggers.

"Zara is, I think, a good deal less buttoned up than her mum. Anne is business-like and professional at all royal appearances - you’ll never catch her nuzzling up to her husband in public, cuddling a baby or enjoying a few drinks.

"Zara and Mike are equally professional, dressing up for the occasion and playing their part, but they bring a lightness of touch and a sense of fun to almost everything they do."

When Zara was born back in 1981, her mother, Anne, decided against royal titles for her and her older brother Peter Phillips, carving the path for both of them to pursue their own careers rather than royal work.

However, now with Charles' slimmed-down monarchy looking slimmer than ever, many have suggested that Zara and Mike could be the perfect couple to draft in to help out with royal duties. In fact, in recent years, William has called on the couple as well as his other cousins, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, to help out at Buckingham Palace garden parties that he has hosted.

Recent reports have suggested that when the time comes and William takes the throne, he could hand Zara, and in turn Mike, an important role running all royal horse racing matters - something that he has less of an interest in compared to his father, the King.

And Jennie added: "There will be so many demands on William's time when he is King that I think it’s a brilliant idea – if the reports are to be believed – that he might hand over racing matters to Zara.

"Like her mother, she lives and breathes horses; she’s also extremely glamorous and well-liked, and it would be a perfect fit. As the years go by, I think they’ll be a highly valued support for William when the time comes for him to be King. They are both very close to William, and if he calls on them again, as he did at a garden party last year, they will definitely agree."