Mike Tindall announces death of father after 'brutal' battle with disease

Mr Tindall, a former England Rugby star and the husband of Princess Anne’s daughter Zara Tindall, confirmed the death while speaking on the podcast The Good, The Bad & The Rugby.

He said that his father had died last week after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease, a progressive brain disorder characterised by shaking, balance problems, and issues with movement.

Phil, like his son, was a keen rugby player and was the former captain of Otley Rugby Club in West Yorkshire.

“Big shout-out to Otley Rugby Club,” Mr Tindall said.

“They played Chester on the weekend, and they did a minute’s silence to my dad, who was captain in ’72, ’73.”

Mr Tindall said that he was sent a video of the tribute, and a message dedicated to his father was also included in the match programme.

“That little moment, I got to watch it,” he said.

“Thank you very much to Otley Rugby Club for it.”

Mr Tindall also recalled the lead-up to his father’s retirement from the game at the age of 27 and spoke about an injury that he suffered just days before marrying wife Linda.

“He got married in ‘69, broke his leg the week before, went down the aisle in a cast,” he said.

Phil was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2003.

Mr Tindall previously described the disease as “brutal”, saying that “there is no let-up from how it attacks the body and changes people”.

He said that Parkinson’s had reduced his father to “a shell of what he once was” and he required a wheelchair at times, as the disorder had affected his spine.

Mr Tindall became a patron of Cure Parkinson’s in 2018.

The 47-year-old, who won 75 caps for England between 2000 and 2011, has been married to Zara, a successful equestrian and the eldest niece of King Charles, for 15 years.

They have three children, Mia, Lena, and Lucas, who are 24th, 25th, and 26th in line to the throne, respectively.

Zara does not have a royal title as Princess Anne declined one for her, meaning that the children also do not have titles.