Zara Tindall has never been one to suffer fools quietly, and that included the claims that started swirling around her children more than a decade ago.
Shortly after welcoming her first child Mia, who celebrates her 12th birthday on January 17, the royal found herself correcting the record when reports suggested she had already hired a nanny.
The 44-year-old, daughter of Princess Anne, addressed the rumours head-on following the birth of her eldest daughter, Mia, in 2014.
Zara Tindall hits back at nanny claims
At the time, Zara explained that the so-called nanny was nothing of the sort. Instead, she said the press had mistaken her close friend Dolly Maude for hired help.
“The press have printed that I have a nanny, who is my best mate Dolly Maude, which they obviously haven’t realised… She’s been to two competitions and helped me, and she’s apparently my nanny…but she’s not, she’s got four of her own kids to look after,” she told The Telegraph.
When asked whether she would be stepping back from work to focus on motherhood, Zara made her feelings clear.
“I am a full-time mother! I don’t know. The bigger they [babies] get, it’s easier for you to get back to what you were doing before,” she explained.
Which royals use nannies?
While Zara did not employ a nanny, other members of the royal family have taken a different approach. Her cousin Prince William and his wife, Princess Catherine, are well known for relying on professional childcare support.
The Prince and Princess of Wales have had the same nanny since Prince George was just eight months old.
She’s apparently my nanny… but she’s not, she’s got four of her own kids to look after.
Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo, who trained at the prestigious Norland College, has cared for Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis for years.
She is a familiar face at royal outings and major events, often seen quietly accompanying the children in public.
Maria’s role goes far beyond the family home. She travels with the Waleses on overseas holidays and has been present at major royal moments, including Trooping the Colour and weddings.
She reportedly earns a six-figure salary and is trained in everything from evading paparazzi to driving in extreme weather, as well as Taekwondo.
Maria is also easy to spot thanks to the traditional Norland Nanny uniform, which includes a brown dress with a white collar and a brown bowler hat.
Zara and Mike Tindall on having children
Zara and her husband Mike Tindall are now parents to three children, and both have spoken candidly about how family life has shaped their relationship.
The couple welcomed Mia in January 2014. They went on to have Lena in 2018, who is now seven, followed by their son Lucas in 2021. He turns five in March.
Speaking on Loose Women in 2021, Mike reflected on how becoming parents brought new challenges.
“A marriage or long-term relationship can’t always be roses and rainbows,” he said.
“When you have children, that is a massive shock, change to your system that you’ve never experienced, and there is going to be those rocky roads,” he continued.
“There are things that are thrown at you that have to test both of you and that will test that relationship. The thing is no one is right, no one is wrong. You have to work through it together.”
Read more: Mike and Zara Tindall ‘won’t become working royals’ for King Charles as ‘reason’ explained
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