Princess Anne's son-in-law Mike Tindall has spoken candidly about his father's 'brutal' struggle with Parkinson's disease. The 47-year-old former rugby union player was back raising funds for Cure Parkinson's through his annual ISPS Handa Mike Tindall Celebrity Golf Classic, held last Friday in the West Midlands.
The charity is deeply personal to Mike: his father, Phillip Tindall, 80, a former Barclays banker, was diagnosed with the disease over 23 years ago. Parkinson's is a progressive neurological condition that causes deterioration of motor and non-motor functions.
'My dad is not doing great at the moment. Parkinson's is brutal and there is no let up from how it attacks the body and changes people,' Mike told Hello magazine. 'After 23 (plus) years of the disease, it has quite honestly left him a shell of what he once was, which is why I don't want anyone else to see a parent or loved one suffer and have their quality of life decline so massively.'
Mike's annual event also supports The Matt Hampson Foundation, a charity for sporting injuries. Matt Hampson, 41, a professional rugby player, was left paralysed from the neck down after a rugby accident at age 20. This year, in a move Tindall called 'amazing', Hampson will take part in the London Marathon with the foundation's help.
Mike noted that despite the golf event falling on his wife Zara Tindall's 45th birthday, she was happy to spend the day raising money for good causes with close friends. 'Zara loves the golf day,' Mike said. 'She gets a load of mates in one place, and a big party on her birthday!'
Photos from Friday showed Zara embracing Autumn Phillips, her brother Peter Phillips's ex-wife, alongside longtime family friend Dolly Maude, indicating no bad blood. Autumn and Peter finalised their divorce in June 2021 and have both moved on: Autumn with property tycoon Donal Mulryan, and Peter preparing to wed NHS nurse Harriet Spearling in June. Peter and Harriet's guest list reportedly includes King Charles, Queen Camilla, Princess Anne, and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Lawrence.
Zara's birthday was celebrated in style, with her, Autumn, and Dolly riding in a golf buggy decorated with balloons, party streamers, and a cartoon face. In one image, Zara gazed lovingly at Mike, both wearing matching bright green event merchandise.
Earlier this month, Zara was at her glamorous best supporting the Prince and Princess of Wales at their first royal garden party of the season. She wore a stunning blue cutwork dress from Australian brand Leo Lin, retailing at £475, with puff sleeves custom-added. She accessorised with a statement hat and off-white clutch, walking alongside the Duke of Edinburgh. The garden parties typically host over 30,000 guests, consuming 27,000 cups of tea, 20,000 sandwiches, and 20,000 slices of cake each.
What is Parkinson's Disease?
Parkinson's disease affects one in 500 people, with around 127,000 in the UK and one million in the US living with the condition. It causes muscle stiffness, slowness of movement, tremors, sleep disturbance, chronic fatigue, impaired quality of life, and can lead to severe disability. It is a progressive neurological condition that destroys cells in the brain controlling movement, diminishing dopamine supplies. There is currently no cure, but hundreds of scientific trials are underway. The disease claimed boxing legend Muhammad Ali in 2016 and Ozzy Osbourne in 2025.
