Mike Tindall has announced wife Zara, the Queen’s granddaughter, is pregnant with their third child. The former England Rugby star, 41, spoke about the good news on the podcast he co-hosts, 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.’ Zara, 39, and Mike, live at Princess Anne’s Gatcombe Estate in Gloucester, are already parents to Lena Elizabeth, two and Mia Grace, six.

The couple’s previous two pregnancies were formally announced by Buckingham Palace, making this a much more casual way of breaking the good news. If Mike revealed Zara’s pregnancy after the 12-week scan, as many couples do – it means she is likely to give birth around June.

It comes after the Queen, 94, and Prince Phillip, 99, said they would spend Christmas alone in Windsor due to coronavirus and would not hold the traditional royal Christmas celebration at Sandringham.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have admitted they are struggling to decide how to spend the festive season, as Christmas bubbles will be limited to a maximum of three households.