I know some people are convinced that Zara Phillips-Tindall is trash because she made faces at Prince Harry and Meghan’s wedding, but whatever. I honestly don’t believe Harry ever held any kind of grudge against Zara. Harry and William both treated Zara like she was their big sister, and I would even argue that Zara’s independent yet royal-adjacent life is probably what Harry is aiming for with his move out of the UK. Anyway, this week Zara and Mike announced that they are expecting their third child. Zara has had two painful miscarriages in the past, which is why the Queen decided to let it be known that she’s particularly “delighted” with Zara’s pregnancy:

The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh are “delighted” to be expecting another great-grandchild, following the news that Zara Tindall is pregnant. Palace aides said the monarch and Prince Philip are thrilled that their granddaughter Zara, Princess Anne’s daughter, and her husband Mike Tindall are expecting their third baby. In a break with tradition the announcement came directly from former England rugby captain Mike on his podcast The Good The Bad and The Rugby. Tindall happily told his co-hosts Alex Payne and James Haskell, “It’s been a good week for me, had a little scan last week—third Tindall on its way.”. With two daughters already, six-year-old Mia and two-year-old Lena, Tindall said he was hoping for a boy: “I’ll love it whether a boy or a girl – but please be a boy.”

The Queen, who is close to Zara, is said to be particularly happy about the news after Zara and Mike suffered two miscarriages while trying for their second baby. Zara has previously said the hardest part about her first miscarriage, which happened late into the pregnancy, was having to tell the world, because news of the pregnancy had been made public. In a rare interview she said: “In our case, it was something that was really rare; it was nature saying, ‘This one’s not right,’” she said in a 2018 interview. The couple endured another miscarriage before going on to have baby Lena in 2018. The family lives a low key life close on Princess Anne’s Gatcombe estate, where they love to ride and walk in the Gloucestershire countryside.

Princess Anne told Vanity Fair earlier this year how one of the joys of being a grandmother was teaching her grandchildren to ride. Equestrian Zara continued riding during both of her pregnancies and even competed when she was expecting. Like her mother, Zara rides out most mornings.

Tindall revealed that they only told their two girls, who are desperate for another sibling, that they are expecting a third baby after their three month scan. ”Lena’s growing up – she’s two-and-a-half now – she wants something younger to play with and dress up!” he said on the podcast. While he wouldn’t give away the due date, Mike joked that they might call their baby Covi or Covina, in a nod to the pandemic.

[From Vanity Fair]

Many have pointed out that the Queen letting it be known that she’s delighted about Zara’s pregnancy is just the kind of personal, grandmotherly touch which was sorely lacking in the palace’s “it’s personal” response to Harry and Meghan’s news of their miscarriage. I’m not defending the Queen here, because I do think she’s petty, out-of-touch and awful, but I would imagine that if and when Meghan and Harry announce any happy news, the Queen’s “delight” will probably be recorded. The palace’s response to the Sussexes’ miscarriage news came across as so impersonal and cold because it was SAD news, is what I’m saying. Plus, yes, Zara is the Queen’s favorite grandchild. So there’s that too.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, WENN and Backgrid.