Zara Tindall and her husband, Mike, have announced that they are expecting their third baby, and this time Mike says Zara is really hoping for a boy. The two are already parents to two daughters, Mia Grace and Lena Elizabeth.
Mike announced the news casually while appearing on a podcast called The Good, The Bad, & The Rugby. He said, "It's been a good week for me, had a little scan last week — third Tindall on its way."
He added, "I'd like a boy this time. I've got two girls. I would like a boy, but I will love it whatever, whether it's a boy or a girl but please be a boy!"
He also added that they hadn't told their daughters about the baby yet:
"We haven't told Mia yet just because we knew she would tell everyone at school. We will tell her now that we've gone through the scan. Yes, of course, we will tell her."
However, he anticipates that both girls will be very excited:
"I think she'll be happy about it. She has been requesting another sister or brother, so we've hopefully fulfilled that role for her. She just wants something different now. Lena is growing up – she's two-and-a-half now. She wants someone younger to play with and dress up."
Mike also admitted that he announced the news without consulting Zara first:
"There's a good chance she might just read it. I'm not going to tell her that I've told you but, shh, keep it (quiet). No one will know. What, 150,000 listeners a week? No one will tell her!"
This happy news follows several miscarriages that Zara and Mike have endured together. In 2018, she spoke with the BBC about the experience:
"It's very different for us, because we're carrying the child, but for guys I guess it's kind of that helpless feeling, which must be incredibly horrible for them. At the end of the day they've still lost a child too."
She continued, "Being helpless is horrible isn't it? So … it's been a horrible road but, you know, actually now we've come out the end of it, hopefully it makes you a stronger family."
She also said that being in the public eye made the experience more difficult:
"In our situation, everyone knew. And very much when things like that happen, normally it's just your family and friends, but unfortunately everyone knew about it."
However, a beautiful thing came as a result: Zara and Mike received an outpouring of support from people who had also experienced pregnancy loss.
"Actually I had so many letters saying, 'I'm so sorry, we've been through the same thing,' which was incredible — and thank you to all those people," Zara said. "But it just showed how often it does happen."
Zara isn't the only member of the royal family who has a baby on the way! Princess Eugenie announced her own pregnancy back in September. Buckingham Palace issued a short statement confirming the news:
"Her Royal Highness Princess Eugenie and Mr Jack Brooksbank are very pleased to announce that they are expecting a baby in early 2021."
The announcement continued: "The Duke of York and Sarah, Duchess of York, Mr and Mrs George Brooksbank, The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh are delighted with the news."
Eugenie and Jack's baby will be the Queen's ninth great-grandchild, following the birth of Archie Mounbatten-Windsor in 2019. Zara and Mike's newest addition will give the Queen and Prince Philip 10 great-grandchildren to celebrate.
