Harry and Meghan's close friendship with Mike and Zara Tindall turned to rivalry
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle used to have a special bond with Mike and Zara Tindall - but the two couples could now become rivals in Hollywood, it has been claimed.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were close to Harry's cousin Zara, 42, who is Princess Anne's daughter, and her husband, rugby legend Mike, 45. But a PR expert has now suggested that Zara and Mike, who have been rubbing shoulders with Hollywood star Chris Hemsworth and his wife Elsa Pataky lately, with them stepping out together for lunch in Australia last week, could actually become more popular than Harry and Meghan.
Speaking to The Mirror, Jane Owen, celebrity PR expert and founder of Jane Owen PR said that "Hollywood loves Royalty", noting that Zara and Mike "can take advantage of that interest and attention". She said: "If their team knows what they are doing they could potentially become even more popular in time than Meghan and Harry because they don't have to combat the negative publicity and the mistakes they have made to regain trust and momentum."
Mike and Zara Tindall at Westminster Abbey during the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla (UK Press via Getty Images)
Zara and Mike with their daughter Lena (UK Press via Getty Images)Now, following on from recently attending the Magic Millions Race Day, a brand expert has spoken of the couple's potential and how they are "more marketable" than the Sussexes. The expert revealed to another national paper: "Zara and Mike are sports stars in their own right so have more cachet than other members of the Royal Family.
"They both have big followings, Mike with his podcast and Zara with her equestrian career so have more credibility than others," Giles Kenningham, founder of PR & Public Affairs Consultancy Trafalgar Strategy and former Number 10 Head of Press told MailOnline. Mr Kenningham added: "They're often pictured out with their children and seem more like a normal family than a royal one, making them relatable and marketable. Harry and Meghan have become somewhat tarnished which makes them the premier royal couple when it comes to deals."
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Comparing the Sussexes and the Tindalls, Sean O’Meara, of PR agency Essential Content told The Sun: "They offer all the perks of hanging out with royalty without any of the drama that comes with the Sussexes. 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.
Mike and Zara Tindall at Ascot in June 2022 (Getty Images)"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."
Body language expert Judi James previously said Zara's and Harry's body language showed they had "a very strong relationship" - adding that Harry became "broody" as a result of playing with Zara's children. The expert told the Express: "Zara and Harry have always had a very strong relationship, with their non-verbal displays defining friendship as well as family bonds.
"We saw several ‘trio’ poses back in the day, with Zara and Mike celebrating their sporting connections and culture together and Mike showing admiration for Harry’s work on the Invictus Games, while Harry was clearly in awe of Mike’s rugby career. The body language ‘fit’ between Zara and Mike always looked perfect. Zara is a consummate hugger and uses authentic and spontaneous displays of affection, while Harry has complained at length about how he lacked sufficient hugs from his own father after his mother died."
She added: "We can see Zara's empathy and fondness for her cousin in 2008 when she and Harry embrace and kiss on the cheek. Zara was in bridesmaid mode but she still performed this special and tactile greeting for Harry, who leans in and clings to her neck with an air of needy affection.
Harry and Meghan during a photocall to announce their engagement in November 2017 (Getty Images)"This cheek kiss takes the bonding deeper though. Harry’s eye smile and part-rounded cheek suggest he is using the kiss as a cover for an opportunity to whisper in Zara's ear and presumably make her laugh. Tie-sign rituals like this would show to the outside world that they have a confiding, playful relationship, with whispering together always suggesting that people are sharing secrets."
However, it appears that this bond changed over time, and there are fears the cousins are no longer as close as they used to be in the past. During the late Queen's Platinum Jubilee, Mike was heard making a comment about Harry at a reception after the Platinum Party concert in which he described his behaviour as that of a "b***end". Following a thanksgiving service at St Paul's Cathedral, a body language expert told the Express that Mike Tindall could be seen avoiding chatting with Prince Harry.
As the rows of royals exited, Zara could be seen beside her husband waiting by the exit to talk with those leaving the building. Footage showed them then being approached by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who animately chatted with the Queen' granddaughter.
But her husband appeared to visibly avoid speaking with Prince Harry and Meghan throughout the conversation, as he struck up a separate chat with David Armstrong-Jones, Earl of Snowdon and the late Princess Margaret's son. Prince Harry and Meghan then moved away from the Duke's cousin towards the steps of the Cathedral, without acknowledging the ex-rugby union player.
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Harry and Meghan during a photocall to announce their engagement in November 2017 (Getty Images)Ms James said: "Zara looks happy to chat and even turns fully to talk to Harry here, who is looking anxious and keen to get into his own car. Mike though remains facing forward, looking about and holding his order of service up with a look of awkwardness. In the end, he talks to Viscount Lindley, who turns his own back on Harry, cutting the two men off from Zara's conversation with Harry."
Previously, Mike described the topic of Harry and Meghan stepping down as senior royals as a "no-go area" - and after being asked about it on a podcast, he dodged the question. But in May 2023, during the King's Coronation, cousins Zara and Harry were seen exchanging a sweet greeting as the Duke of Sussex entered Westminster Abbey with his cousins Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice and their husbands. A video shared online showed Zara turning back and catching Harry's eye and smile while he told her: "Hi."
But Ms James continued: "Harry had his own posse of support at the Coronation and Zara and Mike were on satellite duty, walking near to Harry but not with him. The placement looked symbolic. Harry’s proximity to Zara meant there would be low levels of tension if they did happen to catch up and meet, avoiding any risk of Harry being ‘cut’ in public as he would be by many of the other royals.
"But Zara and Mike were not in his social group. That job was reserved for the loyal and ongoing royal friends of both Harry and Meghan: Eugenie, Jack, Beatrice and Edoardo. Zara seemed to make no active effort to display affection for Harry, like their playful, loving hugs and whispers of old, but there was a point when they did at least appear to acknowledge each other."
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