The former England rugby player is known to be a lighthearted and down-to-earth member of the Royal Family.
Perhaps, then, it is no surprise that Mike Tindall appears to have a budding bromance with Prince William.
Their close relationship seems to have grown since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle moved to the US and it is often shown through their in-jokes and Mike being chosen to accompany the prince to key events.
Earlier this year, Mike and his wife Zara, William’s cousin, were asked to join William to the King’s Garden Party held at Buckingham Palace.
They were by his side, with Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie too, as William greeted his 8,000 guests – and Mike was on hand throughout to charm and humour the crowd.
Mike Tindall and Prince William at Royal Ascot in 2019, the pair have shared a close relationship for some time
Mike attending the garden party at Buckingham Palace earlier this year with Zara
He got away with joking with two guests about never being arrested and cheekily glanced to one side.
Mike had, in fact, been arrested in 2008 for drink-driving the morning after attending Cheltenham with Zara. He received a three-year driving ban and a £500 fine.
The father of three’s ability to cut through the royal stuffiness seems to be welcomed by the heir to the throne.
He has previously shared his nickname for the future king – ‘One Pint Willy’ – a moniker chosen because ‘he is not the best of drinkers’, Mike shared on his podcast The Good, The Bad &The Rugby.
Word got back to William and he took it in good humour. The prince told how Mike had tried to make amends.
William said: ‘He apologised to me about that. I was like, ‘Mike, when you say you’re not going to mention anyone’s nicknames that doesn’t mean you can then mention my nickname. That’s not fair.”
Mike joking with William while Zara and Kate laugh at Royal Ascot in 2019
Mike and William embrace at a charity polo match in Gloucestershire in 2017
Mike shaking hands with Queen Elizabeth at a Buckingham Palace reception in 2006
Mike , Princess Anne, William and Kate laughing during a recording of The Good, The Bad & The Rugby podcast last year
William could have bonded with Mike because the former rugby player allows him ‘vicariously’ to enjoy some of the fun that is now off-limits to the royal as next in line to the throne.
Royal biographer Ingrid Seward previously told the Telegraph: ‘Mike Tindall has that kind of sportsman camaraderie that would especially appeal to William, who was once a wild boy himself.’
Seward, editor in chief of Majesty magazine, added: ‘Mike gets funnier under the influence of alcohol and can be totally outrageous. William cannot do this any more as he is too aware of his responsibilities. But he can live vicariously through Mike.’
Aside from adding a sense of light-hearted fun to the monarchy, Mike and Zara could be the key to keeping the Royal Family young and in touch with the British population.
In the most recent YouGov poll, Zara topped the rest of her cousins and placed as the sixth most popular royal, sitting just below her uncle, the King.
Giles Kenningham, former No10 head of press, thinks Mike and Zara are more likely to be seen as relatable, in comparison to other members of the Royal Family, iNews reported.
Neither have a title but there has been speculation in the past over whether they could become working royals.
Zara and Mike attending a thanksgiving service to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022
Mike and Zara’s daughter Mia hugs William at a charity polo match in 2017
Mike walking with Zara and their two daughters, Mia and Lena, to an Easter Sunday church service in 2023. Behind them, Prince William and Princess Kate walk with their family as well as Princess Eugenie and her husband
He told iNews: ‘The big question for Buckingham Palace is always one of relevance and whether the Royal Family are seen as relatable and people feel able to engage with them.
‘The Tindalls work very well on that level – they have had their own careers, they are independent financially and they conduct themselves well.
‘You certainly don’t see them staggering out of the back of bars.’
Mr Kenningham, however, questions if the couple would be willing to give up the private life that they enjoy.
Neither Mike or Zara receive payment from the Royal Family and both have gone on to earn commercial deals and sponsorships off the back of their sporting achievements. Zara is an equestrian.
It is possible that Mike’s easy-going and relatable character comes from his upbringing.
Zara and Mike smile as they look at her phone at Wimbledon in 2022
The couple’s elder daughter Mia joins the Waleses as they arrive at church for a Christmas Day service last year
Zara and Mike laugh and joke with William and Kate at Royal Ascot in 2019
Born on October 18, 1978, to parents Philip and Linda Tindall in West Yorkshire, Mike went on to have a long and successful career as a professional rugby player.
He played for Bath and Gloucester and won 75 England caps between 2000 and 2011. He played at centre was won the World Cup with England in 2003. He broke his nose at least eight times in his playing career.
He married Zara, Princess Anne’s daughter, in 2011. The couple have three children together – Mia, ten, Lena, six, and three-year-old Lucas.
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