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Queen Elizabeth II spent just shy of 71 years as Britain\u2019s sovereign, and now, a year after her death, the queen\u2019s granddaughter has opened up about the enduring loss she feels.<\/p>\n
Zara Tindall<\/strong>, in an interview with Australian Women\u2019s Weekly<\/em><\/a> published Monday, discussed missing her grandmother since her passing in September 2022<\/a>.<\/p>\n “When you\u2019ve got someone who\u2019s a huge influence in your life, it leaves a hole,\u201d Tindall said.<\/p>\n Tindall is a professional equestrian, and said that the late queen was a fellow lover of horses and accomplished rider, as well as a great supporter of Tindall\u2019s athletic pursuits. It was their shared \u201chappy place,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cI remember being around horses a lot when we used to go and see her,\u201d she said. \u201cShe rode; grandfather was also involved with the horses, whether it was polo or carriage driving. And if we did anything pony-wise she\u2019d come and watch and be really supportive. She very much knew what was going on in my career as I was growing up. And it was very much her happy place being with the horses. You got to see her real passion and love for the horses and that side of her.\u201d<\/p>\n Zara and her husband Mike Tindall<\/strong><\/a> have three children, Mia, Lena,<\/strong> and Lucas<\/strong>, all of whom met their great-grandmother before her passing. Nine-year-old Mia and 5-year-old Lena have memories of the late queen, while Lucas, now 2, met her but was too small to remember her.<\/p>\n \u201cLucas doesn\u2019t remember, but the girls do very much,\u201d Zara said.<\/p>\n Mike added that the queen \u201cwas a big part of our holidays and family time.\u201d<\/p>\n The competitive spirit runs in the family: Mike Tindall is a former professional rugby player, and many other royals are known to take their sporting pursuits very seriously. In an episode of Mike\u2019s podcast, The Good, the Bad, and the Rugby<\/em>,<\/a> he hosted Kate Middleton<\/strong> and Prince William<\/strong>, who joked that they\u2019d never been able to finish a tennis match against one another due to their competitive nature.<\/p>\n \u201cIt becomes a mental challenge between the two of us,\u201d Kate said with a laugh.<\/p>\n Mia, Lena, Lucas, Prince George<\/strong>, Princess Charlotte,<\/strong> and Prince Louis<\/strong> keep the friendly competition going, Mike said in the Women\u2019s Weekly<\/em> interview.<\/p>\n \u201cOur kids play with their kids in this competition we have,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n They all share the loss of their great-grandmother as well, a lack that Zara feels.<\/p>\n \u201cAll of us are so lucky to have had her for so long,\u201d Zara said. \u201cYou always think when you\u2019re little your grandparents are ancient when they\u2019re not that old.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you get to be an adult, then they are old, so we were very lucky to have her that long, and to have our children, her great-grandchildren, have that influence as well was incredible. It was a very precious time and we\u2019re hugely grateful for it.\u201d<\/p>\n
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