Mike Tindall is one of the few people to have a front-row view of royal life.
The former England rugby star married into the royal family over 13 years ago when he wed Zara Tindall, the daughter of Princess Anne and granddaughter of the late Queen.
This unique position has granted him a seat at major royal events, though, unlike some royal relatives, he and Zara don’t have the duties of “working royals.”
Instead, they have the freedom to pursue their own careers, with Mike hosting a popular rugby podcast, representing several brands, and even competing on the ITV show I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! where he offered glimpses into his royal connections.
Now, in his new book, The Good, The Bad & The Rugby – Unleashed, co-authored with his podcast partners Alex Payne and James Haskell, Mike opens up about his life with the royal family, setting the record straight on rumours about his wealth and offering insight into the hardworking lives of senior royals like King Charles, the Prince and Princess of Wales, and his mother-in-law, Princess Anne.
“People think that working members of the royal family get up every day, shake a few hands, cut the odd ribbon, and not much more than that,” he writes.
“But now I’ve seen behind the curtain, I know there’s a lot more to it than that. Being a working member of the royal family is all-consuming; you don’t have your own time or your own space. With us sitting outside the working royals, it allows us to do things our way, which works better for us.”
Mike acknowledges the frustration of knowing the reality behind royal duties when public perception often doesn’t match up. Yet, he says he’s learned to let it go, referencing the family’s unofficial motto: “Never explain, never complain.” He adds, “I try not to think about it, although it took me a long time to get to that point.”
