It’s no small feat to win over someone of Queen Elizabeth’s stature, whose commanding presence could easily leave anyone feeling intimidated, but Mike Tindall managed to break through with his sharp wit and sense of humour.
Tindall recently recalled the moment he won over Queen Elizabeth during an interview with the Daily Mail, sharing how a humorous exchange between the two changed their relationship for the better.
During a royal lunch, Tindall found himself in an awkward position given the placement of two tables.
“I sat next to her [Queen Elizabeth} at lunch one day and I was sat between two table legs. It was really annoyingly close to my groin. She gets up and starts moving them [the tables] closer together,” he recalled.
“I said to her, ‘Ma’am, if you move them any closer, I’m going to be talking way high’. She laughed. My relationship with her changed after that, as I felt I could tell her anything.”
Tindall has never shied away from sharing his experiences as a member of the Royal Family, offering the public a glimpse into what life is like behind palace doors.
Most recently, he opened up about his wedding day and the one royal tradition he wasn’t prepared to follow.
Tindall was chatting to Richard Eden at a charity event when he made the surprising admission, explaining that at the time his soon-to-be wife Zara and his future mother-in-law, Princess Anne wanted him to wear an item of clothing well known among Highland Scots.
What was the item of clothing?
The answer is a pair of trews, a type of traditional trousers trimmed with leather along the inner leg to prevent wear from horseback riding.
“We got married in Scotland and Zara was schooled in Scotland,” Tindall told Eden.
“Obviously, my mother-in-law is patron of Scottish rugby.
“They keep on that they need to get me a pair of trews. I am, like, ‘F*** off.
“I have spent my whole life trying to kill a Scotsman. I don’t want to wear their trousers,” he joked.
Although Tindall refused to don the highland garb, his 2011 wedding to Zara went off without a hitch.
