Mike Tindall has shared what it felt like to become a member of the Royal family.
The former England rugby player, who married Zara Phillips, Princess Anne’s daughter and a cousin of King Charles, in 2011, has given us the inside scoop, and it seems he has had a smoother ride than Meghan Markle.
Tindall has remained in the limelight after retiring, munching bugs on ITV’s ‘I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here’ and discussing all things rugby on his podcast ‘The Good, The Bad, and The Rugby’ with James Haskell and Alex Payne. But there’s more to come from him in a book based on the trio’s popular podcast, which is providing intriguing hints ahead of its publication.
Tindall praised his Royal in-laws in an excerpt from his upcoming book, which has been published in The Telegraph, saying: “Believe it or not, marrying into the Royal Family was pretty easy for me. They were always nice to me, and I was always nice to them. Simple really.”
This is in sharp contrast to Meghan Markle, the Suits actress turned Duchess of Sussex, who shocked the world with her candid Netflix documentary blasting her frigid welcome by Prince William and Kate.
Mike seems to have a special relationship with William, Kate, and their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. Mike was seen playfully taunting an ecstatic Louis during the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee two years ago, demonstrating their tight friendship, according to the Mirror.
In an interview with The Telegraph, Mike discusses his particular bond with 11-year-old George, who is following in his father William’s footsteps as a football lover. Mike responds, “George loves his football. I’ve played numerous times in the garden with him. He’s passionate about Aston Villa, too. Wherever he is, he’ll sit down and watch that game.”
Zara previously spoke with Australian Women’s Weekly about their children’s tight bond with the Wales three, admitting it may be competitive at times. “Our kids play with their kids in this competition we have,” Zara said, with Mike adding: “Competition done the right way is so healthy, I think. It drives people to get better; for sports people it drives you to train, it drives you to push as hard as you can. You need that.”
Zara, the famed silver medalist from the 2012 London Olympics, agreed, saying, “I think our families are fairly competitive.”
The pair also discussed how their children sometimes grow irritated if they don’t get their way during games.
“Mia doesn’t like losing at the moment,” Mike said of his oldest. “[And] now Lena is getting old enough to start pushing Mia because there’s a bit of a gap.”
It’s hardly surprising that the Tindall children are so close with George, Charlotte, and Louis. Mia is just six months younger than George, while Lena shares her age with Louis, having been born less than two months after the Prince.
Charlotte effectively bridges the gap between the two sisters.
In an earlier interview with the Telegraph, Mike explained their bond: “Lena and Louis are obviously similar ages, Mia’s sort of in between Charlotte and George, and then you’ve got Peter’s [Phillips] children Savannah and Isla who are just a little bit older.”
He went on to say, “James [Prince Edward and Sophie’s son] isn’t the ring leader, but he is the oldest. So, yes, it’s going to be a good little group.”
