Zara Tindall and Mike joking about baby names says expert
Mike Tindall, the former England rugby star, made the pregnancy announcement in December, revealing that his wife Zara was four months pregnant. The couple, who live at Princess Anne’s Gatcombe Estate in Gloucester, are already parents to Mia Grace, six, and Lena Elizabeth, two.
The existing royal siblings will benefit from an Act of Parliament that was passed in 2013, that ended the system of male primogeniture, whereby younger sons have precedence over their older sisters.
The change in law applied to those born after October 28, 2011, and enabled Princess Charlotte, five, to become fourth in line to the throne, ahead of her younger brother Prince Louis.
Prior to the change in law, Louis would have overtaken his older sister in the line of succession.
Mia and Lena will also benefit from the amendment to the Succession to the Crown Act as even if their mother were to give birth to a son, the two sisters will retain their places in the line of succession.
Zara Tindall is set to welcome her third child with husband Mike Tindall later this year (Image: Getty)
Zara and Mike are already parents to Mia, six, and Lena, two (Image: Getty)
Mia is currently 19th in line, while Lena is 20th.
But their lineage will change when Princess Eugenie, 30, gives birth to her first child this year.
As she is currently 10th in line to the throne, her baby – regardless of gender, will become 11th in line to the throne upon birth.
Prince Charles, 72, is currently first in line to the throne, followed by his eldest son Prince William, 38.
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Mike Tindall announced that Zara was pregnant in December (Image: Getty)
The Duke’s three children, Prince George, seven, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, two, then follow.
Prince Harry, 36 is sixth in line to the throne, followed by his 20-month-old son, Archie.
Prince Andrew, 60, as the Queen’s second eldest son, comes in eighth place, followed by his two children, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.
Princess Anne, 70, lies much further down the lineage, even behind her youngest sibling, Prince Edward, 56.
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Mia and Lena are currently 19th and 20th in line to the throne (Image: Getty)
As the amendment to the Succession Act only affected those born after October 2011, Princess Anne’s lineage remains unchanged.
The news of Zara’s third pregnancy was announced by Mike on the podcast he co-hosts, The Good, The Bad and The Rugby in early December.
He 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.”
Mike said that Zara is doing very well but is “always careful due to things that have happened in the past”, adding that she is really looking forward to the new arrival.
British line to the throne (Image: Express)
The couple suffered two miscarriages after the birth of their eldest daughter in 2014.
They were the first royals to speak openly about the heart-breaking experience.
In December 2016 the couple revealed that a pregnancy announced the previous month had ended in a miscarriage.
Zara later revealed she suffered from two miscarriages before falling pregnancy with Lena, their second daughter.
