Zara Tindall has admitted that she feels “lucky” her mother Princess Anne did not bestow her or her older brother Peter Phillips with royal titles as it meant they “got to do it their own way”.

The Princess Royal’s daughter, who has children Mia, Lena and Lucas with her husband Mike Tindall, opened up on a new episode of the Total Sport podcast, where she chatted to former rugby player and motor-neurone disease sufferer Rob Burrow.

Despite living on Princess Anne’s estate at Gatcombe Park in Gloucestershire, Zara revealed her happiness that she was able to live her own life as a non-working royal, as Rob asked the couple what advice they would give to their seven-year-old selves.

She explained: “From my point of view, I was obviously very lucky that my mother didn’t give us any titles so I really commend her on that.

“We were very lucky that we got to do it a bit our own way. My family has a great work ethic as well which I’m hoping they instilled in me and is still going to this day.”

Prince Edward and his wife, Duchess Sophie of Edinburgh, also announced that even though their children Lady Louise and James, Earl of Wessex, are entitled to use HRH their parents decided they would not use them.

However the Duchess acknowledged in an interview in 2020 that as adults Louise and James would be free to reclaim their royal titles should they wish to do so.

Elsewhere in the podcast Mike and Zara revealed an affectionate nickname they use for each other, as they confessed they call each other “munchkin”.

Former England rugby star Mike told the host: “We basically call each other munchkins a lot. I don’t know why that started but it has stuck.”

He cheekily continued: “I will let Zara decide whether she wants to give away what I am down in her phone as…”, to which his wife revealed: “He is in my phone as something else and it ends with kitten.”

Prince William is also referred to as ‘One Pint Willy’ by Mike “because he is not the best of drinkers, coming from a sport where it is built on the social aspect and a couple of beers being sunk quite often. That is one I will give away for the Prince of Wales.”