Princess Anne's son-in-law shares heartbreaking family loss
Princess Anne's son-in-law Mike Tindall mourns loss of longtime family figure
Mike Tindall is mourning the loss of his father, Phil Tindall, who died last week at age 80.
The former England rugby star, who is married to Princess Anne's daughter, Zara Tindall, shared the news during the September 23 episode of his podcast, The Good, The Bad & The Rugby.
Phil, who had lived with Parkinson's disease for years, was also a rugby player earlier in life, having played for Otley Rugby Club in West Yorkshire during the early 1970s and served as team captain.
His former club honoured him with a moment of silence during a recent match, a tribute Tindall said he was able to watch after someone sent him a recording, along with a written mention in the match program. He publicly thanked Otley Rugby Club for the gesture.
Tindall recalled that his father's rugby career was cut short after he broke his leg just before marrying Tindall's mother in 1969, ultimately forcing him to retire from the sport at 27.
Despite that setback, Phil remained a major influence in his son's own rugby journey, having taught him foundational skills, including how to tackle, during his childhood.
Phil was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease years ago, a diagnosis Tindall has spoken about publicly for some time.
In a 2020 interview, Tindall shared that his father had been living with the condition for 17 years and had noticeably declined in recent years.
The cause became personal for Tindall, who has worked to support Parkinson's research as a patron of Cure Parkinson's, including participating in fundraising cycling events.
By 2021, Tindall noted that his father's health had continued to decline, including physical changes like spinal curvature that emerged around the time of his 2011 wedding to Zara.
