Not the 'Right' Fit: Zara and Mike Tindall Are Not Senior Royal Material

Zara and Mike Tindall are undoubtedly popular extended members of the royal family, but Princess Diana's ex-butler feels the pair does not have what it takes to be on the royal front lines.

"I don’t see Zara and Mika Tindall are the right candidates to step up to the plate, I can see Eugenie and Beatrice doing charitable work and minor roles," Paul Burrell dished.

"But Princess Anne is always there, she is the best queen we never had, she has an incredible work ethic and is a great credit to the royal family," he added. "The King will lean a lot on his sister as well as his son in the coming months."

The British monarchy is having a "working royal crisis" in how several senior members, such as King Charles III and Kate, Princess of Wales, are out of commission.

Due to less than a handful of monarchy members fulfilling engagements, royal expert Angela Levin told an outlet: "My own view is that he [the King] could have Zara, who is the daughter of Princess Anne, because she and her husband Mike, who comes also from an ordinary background but fits in beautifully with the royal family. He could do it very well."

They're very popular, they're very nice, they're jolly, they're honorable, [and] they're loyal to all the royal family. So he could do that," she added. "I think he's trying to save the country money, but it might not be worthwhile. My heart sank when I heard that he was going to hospital. Because the thought of having Harry sort of sign papers and make decisions is too much, it's too much for anyone. It was just too much."

If reports are to be believed, the monarch is "mulling over" what junior royals to bring into the fold, or rather to just let the Crown float in quiet limbo until both he and Catherine are recovered.

"He didn't know he was going to be unwell or that Catherine would too, he didn't have that in mind. But I think it's also very, very difficult to choose who he would have. He's got his sister, Princess Anne, who's always there, works hard, incredibly hard, and only does slightly less engagements than him," the author observed.

Levin continued: "That's been terrific as well because they just get on with things, Sophie and Edward. But then you come to whether he should have his other brothers and children and Prince Andrew's daughters, and that's very difficult because you don't know whether they, who are quite friendly with Harry, would maybe leak something or whether it would be awkward because of the problems that Prince Andrew is still having."

Daily Express reported on Burrell's comments.