Royals

Why birthday girl Mia Tindall is the Princess of our hearts

Prince George may be the cheeky royal always making us giggle but his cousin and partner in crime, Mia Tindall, is the Princess of our hearts!
Mia Tindall

Zara and Mike Tindall’s precious daughter is ringing a very exciting milestone, she’s turning three!

The couple, who tied the knot in 2011, welcomed Mia Grace Tindall on January 17, 2014.

Mia is 17th in line to the throne and is the granddaughter of Princess Anne.

For the past few years, the adorable blonde has been charming us with her hilarious and very boisterous antics.

From galloping on her daddy’s shoulders to stealing her great grandmother Queen Elizabeth’s handbag during royal photos, nothing is off-limits for the free-spirited tot.

Mia is Zara’s first child.

“They start smiling at you, when you get interaction your bonds grow more and more,” Mike remarked.

Mia certainly keeps her parents on their toes.

Mike once mused, “I was playing with her and she smiles if you do something funny and it makes you feel good about yourself.”

Upon welcoming her first child, Zara chatted to Hello! about how motherhood changed everything for her.

“Afterwards you are pretty amazed at what you’ve created. I still keep looking at Mia and thinking, ‘Oh, We made that!'”

While the Olympian equestrian is smitten with her cherub, young Mia is clearly her daddy’s little girl.

The duo are inseparable, always attending events together, and the toddler has no qualms running amok… Much to everyone’s amusement.

Mia’s 38-year-old dad says he and Zara have always been very keen to let Mia express herself.

“She’s got quite a little personality on her,” he said in a previous interview. “We encourage that.”

Last year, the pint-sized royal let her mischievous nature shine in an official royal portrait, taken for Her Majesty in celebration of her 90th birthday.

In the now famous snap, Mia proudly holds onto The Queen’s handbag while the rest of her great-grandchild appear well-behaved.

Watch more on the funny moment in the video player below!

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Mia looks just like her mum Zara and grandmother Princess Anne…

The pair have a close bond.

Mia has no qualms showing Princess Anne who is boss!

The duo remind us of Zara with her grandmother, Queen Elizabeth

Shortly after the portrait’s debut, her dad chatted candidly with Good Morning Britain and revealed how the endearing turn of events all fell into place by chance.

“It just happened at the right time. She was being a bit naughty,” the proud dad revealed.

“The Queen got it quite right when she told her: ‘Just hold the handbag now’ and she did that. It ended up being a great photo for her.”

“It just turned out to be the right photo at the right time and it will be something we’ll always cherish, I think.”

As for how they hope to raise Mia, it’s all about being present parents.

“You’ve got to be a hands-on dad nowadays, plus Zara spends a lot of time with the horses, so I don’t have much choice in that sense,” Mike told The Times.

Young Mia may have shown a disinterest in Equestrian sports, she isn’t short on athletic role models with an Olympic medallist as a mum and a rugby captain as a dad!

In an interview with the Daily Mail, the former rugby star explained that he will “support Mia in any sport she chooses.”

But he “selfishly hopes she chooses golf to help improve my own game.”

Cuddles with uncle Harry!

The tot has no fear… Not even when dealing with falcons.

Living life on the edge is a daily business for Mia.

The sweet blonde is one of the Queen’s great-grandchildren, cousin to Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Isla Phillips and Savannah Phillips.

And we already know the she and cousin George get up to LOADS of mischief…

When the cousins had their very first meeting back in 2014, Mike admitted it was “carnage”.

Recounting the story to the Mirror, he and his wife took their daughter to Highgrove to meet George and his parents Prince William and Kate.

“I don’t think Mia will remember that day, she was two months old, but it was great, it was carnage,” he remarked.

“George was eating at the time. He’d got to that stage where more food goes on the table than in his mouth.”

“Mia was just chilling and sleeping, she sleeps a lot, she’s quite relaxed.”

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree… History repeats itself with cousins Prince William and Zara’s little ones.

Aunty Autumn is smitten with her niece.

“She’s got quite a little personality on her, and we encourage that.”

Seeing snaps of Mia being cheeky is one thing, but her family have backed up her antics.

“She loves being outside and is full of life… She also loves fairground rides and trampolines. We have a trampoline in the back garden and she would happily bounce on it most of the day,” Mike admitted.

The only child is very close to her cousins, Zara’s brother Peter and his wife Autumn’s kids, five-year-old Savannah and four-year-old Isla.

“All three of them love each other,” says Mike. “They often go riding together on our three Shetlands – Mia has progressed to a proper saddle now. The girls are like peas in a pod and I think that closeness between them will continue for many years.”

Meanwhile, Aunty Autumn described Mia as “a little wrecking ball” and “a little monkey.”

“When we all get together, the dynamic is great,” she told Hello!

“All the youngsters, our girls, Mia and Prince George, run down the corridors, laughing.”

Happy birthday, Mia! Here’s to many more years of mischief.

Little Mia is 17th in line to the throne… But for now she’s focusing on being “Super Cute”.

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