Mike Tindall Reveals the Surprisingly Formal Way He Addresses Mother-in-Law Princess Anne
Mike Tindall has a surprisingly formal way of addressing Princess Anne in private, despite their famously close family relationship
Mike Tindall may not have been born into the royal family, but his marriage to Princess Anne’s daughter, Zara Tindall, has made him a familiar face around the Firm. Over the years, the former rugby star has become pretty close to his royal in-laws and has shared plenty of candid glimpses of their family life. But when it comes to Princess Anne, Mike has a rather unexpected way of addressing his mother-in-law and it’s definitely more formal than you might expect.
The 47-year-old opened up about his royal connections during a 2024 appearance on ITV’s Good Morning Britain. Tindall was joined by fellow former rugby player James Haskell as the pair discussed their podcast, The Good, The Bad & The Rugby, which has previously welcomed guests including Anne and both William and Kate.
Tindall touched on Anne’s love for rugby and her decades-long connection to the sport, explaining, “It was more important to showcase why they like sport, why Princess Anne has been a patron of [the Scottish Rugby Union] for 37 years and why she loves the characters in the game.” Tindall added, “It accepts all fans, and they come from all sides.”
However, at one point in the show, Susanna Reid asked Mike what he actually calls his mother-in-law during the interview. His answer was short and surprisingly formal: “Ma’am.”
Previously, Tindall revealed a funny story about Anne in I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, which took place at Zara’s 30th birthday party, and the theme was all things Seventies. As per The Independent, he recalled dancing with his mother-in-law at the party when he attempted a dance move, only to rip his trousers. He said, “Ripped my trousers, straight in front of her. It happened to be that my boxers that I had on at that time said ‘nibble my nuts’.”
He continued, “As I’ve turned round, she’s gone, ‘I’d rather not.’ I’ve gone, ‘I’m going,’ and walked off.”
