Zara & Mike Tindall have surprised me with their willingness to cozy up to the Prince and Princess of Wales, while at the same time, making a point of “shunning” the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Zara used to be close to both Prince William and Prince Harry, and while Zara has not completely shunned Harry, she seems to have “chosen a side.” Mike Tindall has as well – he certainly believes that he is One Pint Willy’s Replacement Brother. So how is this William-focused dynamic playing out among the other cousins, especially Princess Beatrice and Eugenie? Well, apparently Zara and Mike are more than willing to shun the York princesses from now on as well.

She’s been dubbed the glue that binds the Royal Family together, but the latest revelations in the Epstein files could change all of that for Zara Tindall. Princess Anne’s daughter and her former rugby union player husband, Mike Tindall, share close bonds with the Prince and Princess of Wales, as well as with Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie.

However, the recent tranche of documents has raised serious questions about how much the York sisters knew of their parents’ corrupt dealings with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein. It puts their future role within the Royal Family in doubt, with Prince William said to be prepared to take a ‘hard line’ if necessary. And according to royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams, if it ‘came to choosing’ sides, the Tindalls would ‘naturally’ support the Prince and Princess of Wales – and not just because they are the future King and Queen.

Zara and Mike’s popularity and unique position as members of the Royal Family, without the hindrance of titles, has undoubtedly done wonders for their careers, enabling both Zara and Mike to secure longstanding, lucrative deals with brands such as Rolex and Land Rover. The couple will be anxious to protect their livelihoods and will naturally not want any associations to the Epstein scandal to impinge on their brand – even if that means distancing themselves from their cousins.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams said: ‘It is well known that Zara and Mike Tindall have particularly close relations with their cousins Beatrice and Eugenie… Zara relies on several top sponsorships. She is a highly popular equestrian and she and Mike have a special niche in the nation’s hearts as he has a laconic, likeable style as well as being a former rugby captain. The Epstein Files have placed the royal family on the defensive, as it cannot anticipate what is to come. Beatrice and Eugenie are now drawn into the line of fire, especially for having visited Epstein a few days after his release from imprisonment for child sex trafficking with their mother. Both were adults at the time. Epstein was under house arrest.’

‘The sisters are clearly in an impossible position, each holding several charitable posts, with Eugenie co-founding the Anti-Slavery Collective. There is sympathy for them; the King is currently supportive, but their parents are in total disgrace. Zara and Mike have cultivated a casual, low-key image, and one can imagine them doing what they want and befriending whom they feel like. However, they are both heavily reliant on the potency of their brands. Therefore, their public appearances with the sisters may, depending on what is released, alter or even cease if it is discovered they were unwise or even culpable.’

‘If it came to choosing, Zara and Mike would naturally support William and Catherine if William should feel the need to oust Beatrice and Eugenie. They are independent enough to do as they wish, but nobody should doubt that their loyalty, like that of Zara’s indomitable mother, Princess Anne, is first and foremost to the monarchy at all times.’

[From The Daily Mail]

My take? Zara would have been fine with staying somewhat friendly with Harry, Beatrice and Eugenie if not for William. I think the cousins have always gotten along pretty well, but William has been on the warpath since 2019/2020, and HE is the one demanding fealty from his cousins, and setting up loyalty tests for Zara and Mike in particular. Hey, if I was in Zara’s place, I would tell William to eat a bag of d–ks and grow the f–k up. But I think the calculation on Zara and Mike’s part is that they actually do need some kind of connection with the crown long-term to make all of their royal-adjacent sponsorships work. Which means that Zara and Mike have to roll their eyes and do whatever William says.

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