to think the statement should be "Mr and Mrs Tindall" and not "Mr and Mrs Mike Tindall"?

[OrlandoWoolf]

"Using Phillips' married name, a Palace spokesperson said in a statement at the time: "Mr and Mrs Mike Tindall are very pleased to announce that Zara Tindall is expecting a baby in the new year."

Talk about losing your identity.

She isn't a princess though.

She's not in the male line, so can't be called princess.

Doesn't bother me in the slightest, and I expect it doesn't bother her either, because actually she could have asked for Mr. Michael and Mrs Zara Tindell and it would have been allowed (Her mother is a different kettle of fish mind)

She could have been a princess, her mother removed both the kids from the line.

No Zara's not a princess. I believe her mother and father were given an opportunity to have a title before their marriage, but didn't want one and perhaps even more importantly, didn't want to be perceived in the same way as Princess Margaret and the sniggering that followed her commoner husband-to-be being given an Earldom just before the wedding.

GrandadGrumps - eh ?

What I said was, as a couple, they are Mr and Mrs Tindall, but fewer people would know who that was than would know if his first name was included in the information. Doesn't 'define her by her husband's identity' at all. She's a hugely accomplished woman and retains her professional name for he career, but she chose to start married life with her family by them all having the same family name. As many people do. Those who are then saying she shouldn't be called that seem to be the ones disrespecting her wishes to me. At LtEve said, if she'd wanted 'Zara' included in the announcement, then it would have been.

If I was married I would keep my maiden name as I am a feminist; so naturally I'm horrified to find that people still use the term ''mr & mrs husband'sname husband'ssurname...

I think it's very old fashioned and shows that the woman is submitting to being the property of a man.

When I write envelopes to couples I deliberately always write the woman's name first, same on cards too.

No, only grandchildren born to the male line are Princes or Princesses.

It is rumoured that Mark Phillips turned down an earldom ( then his eldest son would have been a viscount and his daughter lady Zara Philips)

Though given that he continued to refer to himself as Captain Mark Phillips long after he left the army (when only officers of Major and above can use their title after retirement.) He doesn't seem adverse to giving himself unearned airs and graces.

There was never a question or possibility them being Prince and Princess.

Sorry, I wasn't clear. She isn't a princess because her mother made some fairly modern and feminist decisions. But she could have been. They could have found a way.

Cross post. I stand corrected.

In any case, it was a deliberate and frankly modern decision not to jump through the hoops to give her a title. And IMHO Mrs Mike Tindall is a more modern name than Lady Zara Tindall...

how about 'Mrs Tindall' born to wealth and influence along with her equally useless and free loading cousins William, Harry, Beatrice, Eugainie, peter and Louise.

may have left one out as too busy working to pay our bills.

viva le revolution

No she couldn't under letters patent of 1917 only grandchildren of the male line can be given the title prince or princess.

It wouldn't be a question of Anne refusing or accepting anything. It would hsve involved reboking the 1917 letters patent. By being plain Mr & Miss Philips they merely folloed the protocol.

Cross posted with you cross post Horatia apologies!

Viscount Severn and Lady Louisa aren't Prince and Princess, are they? But they could be?

(I figured you had )

BackforGood As a couple are they better known as 'Zara Phillips and that sports bloke she married who did something somewhere in NZ or Australia' or 'Mike Tindall and his wife'?

I'm a man, with a not particularly royalist attitude, from a rugby town and I know him as being associated with her, rather than her as being an accessory to him.

Truth be told I'm not particularly interested in, or impressed by, either of them, but that's a different matter.

I know I am wanging on about this but Anne gets a lot of credit for this and it is undeserved. In fact you could argue that her children got all the privileges of being born into the royal family, but none of the obligation (although that is hardly taxing even for dimwits like the Windsors)
If also met het snd she's brusque bordering on rude.

Though given that he continued to refer to himself as Captain Mark Phillips long after he left the army (when only officers of Major and above can use their title after retirement.) He doesn't seem adverse to giving himself unearned airs and graces

He's entitled to refer to himself as Captain because he works with horses. See Debretts www.debretts.com/forms-of-address/professions/armed-forces/army/retired.aspx

So outraged you missed my point entirely. I get the feminist thing. Yes it is out moded.

But why do women pretend they don't know that this is how an envelope is written? All the "oh my god they released it this way?" Faux shock. They released it that way because that's HOW you do it. All this surprise that that's how it was released makes me wonder how daft you are. It's the palace. Did you think they would do it differently? Really?

Not whether it should change. I'm guessing that debretts is still the guide (?) to what's required. Perhaps. Tell them.

Compos. No princess Anne is lovely. She is a remarkable woman. I know her through the disabled riding schools. She is a leader. A man would be admired for her methods and skill.

Like she ain't a mate. But I've met her and watched her at close quarters with horses and stable people and disabled. In that setting she earnt my respect.

I can't see anyone expressing surprise, or not knowing (or pretending not to know) that this is the traditional address. Just expressing their view that perhaps it shouldn't be!

Her name is not Mike Tindall. It's just plain wrong, as well as out-dated patriarchal bollocks. If anyone sent me anything addressed to Mrs HisName HisLastName they'd get it sent back with corrections in red pen. Not on.

And it's only 'correct' according to a bunch of people whose authority I do not recognise.

I agree - I never write Mr & Mrs [Man's Initial] [Surname] to address a couple. I just write Mr & Mrs [Surname]. I know the former is correct but it's one of those things that needs to go. The only exception is my M&D as they have the same initial.

Also I called myself Mrs [DH's first name] just for fun, but that's different.

Outdated and old fashioned? They are part of our monarchy, the most outdated and out of touch institution going. I can't believe anyone is surprised she is being addressed in this way by the palace.