Mike Tindall, the former England rugby star and husband of Princess Anne’s daughter Zara Tindall, has disclosed that an “uncut version” of a 2023 podcast interview he conducted with Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, exists and would have “astounded the public” if released. Tindall, 46, shared this insight in his new book, “The Good, the Bad & the Rugby — Unleashed,” which is named after the podcast he co-hosts with Alex Payne and James Haskell.
“I believe the podcast made them seem more relatable, and I wish they had allowed us to release the uncut version, as it would have truly amazed the public,” Tindall wrote, as excerpted by DailyMail. “They appeared down-to-earth, fully engaged, humorous, and knowledgeable. It was a much more enlightening conversation than I anticipated, not because I thought they would be dull (I already knew they weren’t) but because I understand how meticulously controlled everything related to the royal family is.”
Princess Anne, Tindall’s mother-in-law, also participated in the September 2023 interview, which was recorded at Windsor Castle. Although not a working member of the royal family, Tindall has had behind-the-scenes access to The Firm due to his close relationship with the throne. He believes the public often misinterprets the Windsors, who are not the “Downton Abbey” characters some might envision them to be.
The royals “are a very close family who deeply love each other,” Tindall wrote, describing casual picnics and TV watching with the late Queen Elizabeth II rather than formal dinners. “Zara and I would often watch the racing with [Queen Elizabeth] on TV, as many people reading this have done with their grandmothers.” Lunches were also informal, especially in Scotland, where picnics in the open spaces of the Highlands were common.
The royal family is renowned for their summer holidays in Scotland at Balmoral Castle, a place of great importance to the late Queen Elizabeth. She passed away at Balmoral on Sept. 8, 2022, at the age of 96. Tindall also mentioned a photo of his daughter Mia sitting with the Duke of Edinburgh, capturing the essence of those family gatherings: “members of a very close family who loved each other dearly spending precious time together.”
Regarding the late Queen, Tindall stated, “I’m often asked if the Queen was informal like ‘normal’ people, and the answer is yes. Her life wasn’t like an episode of ‘Downton Abbey.’”
Source link: https://nypost.com
