Zara and Mike Tindall just welcomed their third child, and Britain’s newest royal baby, to the world, in a decidedly un-royal fashion.
On Wednesday, Zara, the 39-year-old daughter of Queen Elizabeth’s own daughter, Princess Anne, and her retired rugby player husband, Mike, shared the news through their spokesperson, who revealed, “Zara and Mike Tindall are happy to announce the birth of their third child, Lucas Philip Tindall.”
Mike opened up about the new arrival on his podcast, “The Good, the Bad & the Rugby,” saying that after a weekend of watching rugby, "Sunday got even better because a little baby boy arrived at my house."
According to the proud father of three, the baby "arrived very quickly." Without enough time to get to the hospital, Zara gave birth on the bathroom floor.
"So yeah, it was running to the gym, get a mat, get into the bathroom, get the mat on the floor, towels down, brace, brace, brace," he said of the whirlwind experience. "Fortunately the midwife who was going to meet us at the hospital wasn't that far away so she drove up just as we had assumed the (position), and the second midwife arrived just after the head had arrived."
As for Mom, Mike said Zara was "a warrior, as always."
Shortly after their announcement, a spokesperson for Buckingham Palace noted, "The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh are delighted with the news and look forward to meeting their 10th great grandchild when circumstances allow."
The baby was born on March 21, weighing 8 pounds, 4 ounces. The middle name appears to be a tribute to Zara's grandfather Prince Philip as well as Mike's father, Philip Tindall.
The couple, who already had two daughters — Mia, 7, and Lena, 2 — before Lucas Philip's arrival, didn’t know if they were expecting a boy or a girl this time — at least not until they saw their new bundle of joy for themselves.
"We're not finding out,” Mike told British newspaper The Times in February. “I think it’s better that way. At the end of the day, you’re just happy if it’s got ten fingers and ten toes and it’s healthy.”
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But when he first broke the news that they were expecting, back in December of 2020, he made no secret about the fact that he had a strong preference.
“I'd like a boy this time,” the 42-year-old announced on his podcast. “I’ve got two girls; I would like a boy.”
Of course, in proud-dad fashion, he said, “I will love it whether a boy or a girl,” before quickly adding, “But please be a boy!”
He even noted that, given the fact that the pregnancy took place during the pandemic, they might name the baby “Covi or Covina,” but he was obviously just going for laughs.
Now that his wish for a baby boy has come true, one of his podcast co-hosts asked about the possibility of baby No. 4 in the future. But Mike said the matter was closed as soon as baby No. 3 arrived.
“I literally was like, ‘Yep, snip-snip-snip!’” he laughed. “I’ve got my boy. I’m out. I’m out of here!”
The happy news of Lucas' birth comes after the couple have suffered the pain of past pregnancy loss twice before. Zara experienced her first miscarriage in 2016, and in 2018, she told The Times that she'd had another miscarriage "really early on" before her pregnancy with Lena.
“I think you need to go through a period where you don’t talk about it because it’s too raw,” the former Olympic equestrian said. “But, as with everything, time’s a great healer.”
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Zara is just one member of the royal family who’s given birth this year. In fact, there seems to be a royal baby boom going on. Her cousin, Princess Eugenie, and husband Jack Brooksbank welcomed a son named August on Feb. 9. And her other cousin, Prince Harry, and his wife, the former Meghan Markle, are expecting their own new addition soon — a girl.
Baby Lucas is Queen Elizabeth’s 10th great-grandchild.