Why Zara and Mike Tindall live with mum Princess Anne on close-knit Gatcombe estate
Zara and her husband Mike Tindall have a great relationship with her mum, Princess Anne, and the family are also near each other thanks to them all being residents of Gatcombe Park on the Gatcombe Estate in Gloucester.
The Tindalls, who married in 2011, are parents to Mia, 10, Lena, five and Lucas, three, who no doubt love nothing more than exploring the acres of land available to them right on their doorstep. But the family haven't always lived in the same estate as their in-laws, the Princess Royal and her husband Sir Timothy Laurence.
Before moving to Gatcombe, Zara and Mike resided at a four-storey detached townhouse in Cheltenham, approximately a 50-minute drive from where they live now.
The home the couple previously shared has a special place in their hearts. It's where they were living when they announced their engagement in 2010 and is also where they returned following their nuptials in Scotland and their honeymoon a year later.
Zara and Mike's former property is called Hallery House and, in 2013, it was valued at £1.2 million. In 2017, the value rose to £1.69 million and it's likely risen again in the years since.
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The house was incredible. It boasted a hot tub, a cinema room (where Mike popped the question) as well as generously sized bedrooms and a large living area.
The kitchen was also to die for and featured a huge island in the middle – perfect for cooking and hosting when friends and family visited.
So why move? The Tindalls decided to sell up and move to Gatcombe in early 2013 and move into the home that Zara already had in Gatcombe before she married Mike.
At the time, it was reported that Zara, an Olympic equestrian, stabled horses on the estate and was where she trained her racehorses and her three-day eventers.
Therefore, it's possible it was a practical move, influenced by the animals so Zara could be closer to her beloved horses and the training stables.
However, there may have been more of a sentimental meaning behind their decision to move to Gatcombe.
At the time, it wasn't just her mum that lived on the estate, her elder brother Peter Phillips lived there with his wife Autumn and their two daughters, Savannah and Isla who were both under the age of three at the time.
To this day, Peter still lives at Gatcombe but he and Autumn separated in 2020 and finalised their divorce in 2021.
The move might have been in part so Zara and Mike had more space to expand their own family. They would go on to welcome Mia in 2014, almost exactly a year after they moved, Lena in 2018, and Lucas in 2021.
The Princess Royal lives in the main house on Gatcombe Park which was gifted to her in the 1970s for her late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, upon marrying Captain Mark Phillips. Princess Anne has lived in the huge Grade-II house ever since.
Although Zara and Mike don't reside at the main manor house, the 700-acre estate affords them plenty of room to have their own home and space with their children, but remain close enough for family functions.
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Zara and Mike's home, known as Aston Farm, boasts gorgeous interiors, multiple bedrooms and a kitchen which is stunning thanks to its exposed Cotswold stone, green design and marble-topped island.
In an interview with Vogue, Zara and Mike revealed that they have what is known as the "party barn" in between the houses, the perfect spot for coming together for functions.
The piece reads: "At the centre of the farm is a converted barn known to all as 'the party barn' with a bar and catering facilities, giant screen and lounges that combine to make it the perfect setting for a gathering of old friends."
