He’s known for his cheeky antics and fun-loving attitude but Mike Tindall is grieving the loss of his beloved dad, Phil Tindall, who has died aged 79.
Known for his love of rugby, much like his son, Phil had been battling Parkinson’s since 2003 but the loss has affected the family enormously.
“Mike’s putting on a brave front for the rest of the family, but he’s had a long time to prepare for this moment,” a source tells New Idea.
“In so many ways, there’s a sense of relief that Phil’s finally pain-free. All his dad’s problems are over and it’s up to him to help the family pick up the pieces.”
Mike’s mum Linda, a former social worker, had been married to Phil for over 50 years and particularly struggled with the loss of her husband.
“His mum is beside herself. She’s been Phil’s caregiver for over 20 years so she has a whole new existence to adapt to, but Mike and [his brother] Ian are keeping a close eye on her,” our source continues, adding that Phil’s daughter-in-law Zara Tindall and his grandchildren Mia, Lena and Lucas were never were able to see him in good health.
“What does choke Mike up is that his dad’s been sick for so long, Zara and his kids have never seen him in his prime. He was Mike’s hero and it’s been a joy to connect with people paying their respects who remember him at his best.
“It’s a very sad time for the family, but Mike’s now got more time to continue his fight to find a cure – especially for the late-in-stage patients like his dad.”
Taking to his podcast The Good, The Bad & The Rugby on Wednesday, Mike shared the news that his father had passed the previous week and thanked Otley Rugby Club in West Yorkshire where Phil previously played.
“Big shout-out to Otley Rugby Club. They played Chester on the weekend, and they did a minute’s silence to my dad, who was captain in ’72, ’73’,” he said.
Mike has raised money and awareness for Parkinson’s disease and has been a patron of Cure Parkinson’s since 2018.
In May, the former England rugby player admitted that his father was “not doing great”.
“Parkinson’s is brutal and there is no let-up from how it attacks the body and changes people,” he admitted, adding that Phil had been left “a shell of what he once was.”
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