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Former rugby star Mike Tindall is celebrating his 47th birthday today, and will no doubt be spending the big day with his wife Zara - the daughter of Princess Anne.

And while today will be cause for celebration in the Tindall household, things haven’t always been completely smooth sailing as Mike was once at odds with his mother-in-law over one light-hearted demand before his wedding day in 2011.

Zara and Mike tied the knot on July 30, 2011 after years of dating, but in the months before their big day, Princess Anne reportedly issued a surprise request to Mike to change one major thing about his appearance before their high-profile wedding.

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In the months after the wedding, Mike revealed that his future mother-in-law asked him to get a nose job before the nuptials, as during his professional rugby career, he is believed to have broken his nose at least eight times, which left it slightly crooked.

Despite the seemingly outrageous demand, Mike admitted: "It was a light-hearted, jokey comment. It wasn't a big deal. Look at my nose – can you blame her?"

He was unable to carry out the request at the time as undergoing surgery would have interfered with his training regime - as he was still a professional rugby player then.

In 2015, Mike told the Mirror : “I don’t really want to get it fixed, but it looks like I might have to because I can’t actually breathe very well. I guess it’s something similar to a pug.”

However, before Prince Harry and Meghan Markle ’s wedding in 2018, Mike did eventually have corrective surgery on his nose once he retired from professional sports.

During an all-male panel on Loose Women in 2021, Mike also touched on having dental work done, as he jokingly remarked: "I also had my teeth done but that was because they were crossed and looked like a bag of chips."

Zara and Mike's relationship started in 2003 after the pair were introduced by her cousin Harry at the Rugby World Cup in Australia. They announced their engagement in 2010 and married the following year. Speaking about their romance, Mike previously said: "I've never been in love before, but Zara is the love of my life. No doubt."

In 2014, they welcomed their first child, a daughter called Mia, before having another daughter called Lena in 2018. In 2021, they welcomed their first son, Lucas Philip.