Mike Tindall was told off by his royal mother-in-law, Princess Anne, after beating her beloved Scotland team in a rugby match. The pair have been in each other’s lives since he met Zara Phillips, with the couple marrying in 2011 while Tindall was still in the sport.
She is often at Scotland matches and ended up in an awkward encounter with Tindall after England defeated their old rivals. Speaking to Closer magazine last year, the 47-year-old thought of an interesting way to enjoy a victory in the Princess’ presence.
Tindall said: “Most fellas want to get something over on their mother-in-law. It’s quite niche if you’re the captain of the England team and you play Scotland at Twickenham and, when you win, you’re receiving the trophy from your mother-in-law.
“I don’t like the majority of the RFU (Rugby Football Union), but I shook every one of their hands and I kept her waiting.”
Tindall believes that Princess Anne was clearly not happy with his antics and urged him to hurry up on his victory lap. He added: “She was like ‘Move on, Michael’. I was like ‘Debrief over lunch tomorrow?’, and she said, ‘Move on, Michael.'”
The interaction between Tindall and his mother-in-law showcases the lighthearted nature of their relationship with the ability to have a joke. Despite the awkwardness of the situation, the former rugby star was able to bring some fun to the trophy presentation.
Nowadays, Tindall is often spotted attending events with Zara and basking in the glory of Royal life. The ex-Gloucester star retired from rugby in 2014 and gained a new set of fans on I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! in 2022.