Mike Tindall once refused a personal request from his wife Zara Tindall and mother-in-law Princess Anne, offering a brutal response. Proud Yorkshireman Mike, 46, was a professional rugby player before marrying into the Royal Family.
He amassed an impressive 75 caps for England, winning the World Cup and playing in 11 Six Nations Championshps. But Mike revealed his mother-in-law, who is a patron of Scottish rugby, once suggested he would look good in a pair of tartan trousers. Zara, 43, also has connections to Scotland, having been educated at Gordonstoun School in Moray.
Speaking at a charity event, Mike said: “We got married in Scotland and Zara was schooled in Scotland. Obviously, my mother-inlaw is patron of Scottish rugby.
“They keep on that they need to get me a pair of trews. I am, like, ‘F*** off’. I have spent my whole life trying to kill a Scotsman. I don’t want to wear their trousers.”
Trews are often seen as part of traditional Highland Dress, along with the kilt. These traditional tartan trousers are usually lined with leather on the inner leg to prevent wear while horse riding, reports Gloucestershire Live.
Mike married King Charles’ niece at the modest Canongate Kirk church on July 30, 2011. The celebration was attended by their friends and family.
The couple are then said to have partied the night away at Queen Elizabeth II’s official Scottish residence at the Palace of Holyroodhouse. They are believed to have chosen Scotland due to Zara’s love of her late grandmother’s Balmoral Estate, as well as her school days.
Mike previously admitted he “ignored” his mother-in-law Princess Anne’s request to undergo nose surgery before his wedding to Zara. On A League of Their Own, he disclosed that despite having broken his nose numerous times in his rugby career, he initially declined the surgery.
However, Mike did eventually have his nose fixed prior to attending Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding in 2018. His appearance on Loose Women in 2022 also revealed that his later rhinoplasty was not solely for cosmetic motives.
Vernon Kay probed about the transformation, remarking: “Your nose was literally underneath your left eye from rugby. It wasn’t just for looks you had it done?”
To which Mike confirmed: “No, I was stopping breathing during sleep, so it needed to be done. I also had my teeth done but that was because they were crossed and looked like a bag of chips.”
