Zara Tindall and Husband Mike Hope for a Smooth Pregnancy

Zara Tindall, granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II, and her husband, former rugby star Mike Tindall, are looking forward to a year filled with royal weddings and a new addition to their family.

However, they are also hoping and praying that everything goes smoothly with Zara's pregnancy, announced earlier this month, as they lost what would have been their second child to a miscarriage in December 2016.

In an exclusive interview, Mike stated that the couple is awaiting invites to both Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's May wedding, as well as Princess Eugenie's marriage to new fiancé Jack Brooksbank, which is hoped to take place later in the year.

However, their own happiness will depend on what happens over the next few months.

Mike revealed that the couple is keeping pace with both wedding plans and the Duchess of Cambridge's third pregnancy through WhatsApp, following the announcement of Eugenie's engagement to Jack.

He said, “Me, my brother and then a few of Zara's side like her brother Pete and the cousins are on WhatsApp groups.

I wouldn't say we're cutting edge, but it's just easier for some reason on WhatsApp.

I'm in about 25,000 groups, you might do it for a get-together and just stay on the group, and occasionally people will post, ‘You're scared to leave because you don't want to be seen to be rude.'”

While Meghan and Harry have taken the media spotlight, the low-profile Tindalls have watched from the home they share with four-year-old daughter Mia in Gloucestershire.

Mike said, “We married in 2011, but it's all quite cool now.

We don't really have to worry too much about that side of it as much as the rest of the family does.

When we first started dating, there was media interest.

14 years down the line, and living in Sandringham, we are not in the mix like in London.”

Zara, Princess Anne's only daughter, suffered her miscarriage just weeks after revealing they were expecting their second child in November 2016.

A royal spokeswoman for the couple made the announcement on Christmas Eve that the baby had been lost.

This month they announced their joy at expecting a brother or sister for Mia, who they described as their saving grace throughout the tragedy.

Now Yorkshire-born Mike, who has worked as a TV pundit and sports ambassador since retirement from the game, is getting ready to be a stay-at-home dad so Olympic silver medallist Zara can train for the 2020 Tokyo Games.

He said, “She's still motivated for the Olympics, so I've got to help her to achieve that.”

Giving a rare insight into country life with his family, he added, “She is at the age where she loves being outside, trying to get her on the horses when we can.

We get her on the bike and take her to tennis lessons and dance classes.

She definitely would be into everything if you give her the chance.

You try to give her as much as you can to fill her days.

She's definitely got a lot of energy, like everyone.

We find it tricky being working parents at times, you've just got to get on with it and deal with it as best as you can.

We've got support around us, our parents help out too.

Zara's sport dictates her schedule a little bit in terms of where she competes and that helps with how the calendar looks, so between the two of us, we'll make it work.”

Mike still finds time to keep in touch with his old team-mates from the England World Cup winning side of 2003, again through social media.

He said, “I follow them on Instagram or Twitter and I check what they're doing.

If they're doing something stupid, you just abuse them, give them a bit of a ribbing, that's the way of the world now.

You might not speak to someone for a few years but you know what they've been up to by what they post.

It's quite nice to do it that way.

There's a good amount of the squad who keep in touch quite a bit.

There are guys who have moved away and people like Phil Viscari one don't see as much, but I still chat to him.”

Now Mike and some of his World Cup winning mates are planning to take part in a wild running event in April called Wolf Run.

The 10km route combines mud runs, trail runs, and obstacle runs.

Mike said, “I liked the idea.

They got Will Greenwood and Neil Bach interested as well and we had a chat between us and we decided to do it.

I'm looking forward to it.

I'm sure Greeny will be the master and Bachy will be whipping us from behind.

It'll be a bit tougher than life at home, though.