Mike Tindall has lifted the lid on what it’s like behind the scenes with the royals – and what he and the Queen watched together on TV.
The former England rugby star, 46, who is married to King Charles’s niece Zara, has spilled the beans on what life is really like for The Firm away from the crowds.
In his new book, The Good, the Bad & the Rugby – Unleashed – written with co-hosts James Haskell and Alex Payne – the father-of-three, described relaxed picnic lunches with the family.
He claimed that Queen Elizabeth II’s life wasn’t like an episode Downton Abbey “with meals on long tables and everyone dressed in their finery every night”.
Mike also recalled some lovely memories he has with the late monarch – including what they watched together on the box.
He said: “Zara and I would often watch the racing with her on TV, as I’m sure lots of people reading this have done with their gran.”
He continued: “Lunches were also relaxed, especially up in Scotland, where lunch would often be heading out into the open space of the Scottish Highlands for a picnic.
“There’s a great picture of my daughter Mia sitting with the Duke of Edinburgh that captures exactly what those afternoons were like: members of a very close family who loved each other dearly spending precious time together.”
Mike didn’t stop there in his revelations about the Royal Family saying that the public would be “blown away” if they found out what the Prince and Princess of Wales were really like.
Speaking about their guest appearance on his podcast alongside his mother-in-law, Princess Anne, he praised the royal pair for their “down-to-earth” nature.
He said he felt that the podcast helped “humanise” the couple – but said he wished that they could have put the “uncut” version of the show out as it “would have blown the public away.”
Mike said: “They came across as down-to-earth, fully engaged, funny and knowledgeable… it was a far more enlightening chat than I expected, not because I thought they’d be dull (I already knew that they weren’t), but because I know how everything to do with the Royal Family is so carefully controlled.”
Speaking on the podcast William stressed how important sports are for children, especially when it comes to learning about winning and losing, before Kate joked about friendly competition within the family.
Mike runs the podcast with co-hosts, former rugby player James Haskell and rugby broadcaster Alex Payne.
His wife Zara is 21st in line to the British throne and they share three children Mia, 10, Lena, six and Lucas, three.
