Princess Anne's firm response to Mike Tindall’s cheeky antics after England game (2025)

Tindall enjoyed it greatly when his England squad got one over Princess Anne (Image: Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Mike Tindall has cheekily revealed how he "got one over" his Royal mother-in-law, Princess Anne, during a Scotland vs England rugby match. The former Gloucester rugby star, who married into the Royal Family when he wed Zara Phillips in 2011, was still playing for club and country at the time of their wedding. Tindall made 75 appearances for England and 181 for Gloucester and recently shared an amusing anecdote from a match against Scotland at Twickenham.

Princess Anne, a dedicated supporter of Scotland's rugby team since becoming patron of the Scottish Rugby Union in 1986, was less than pleased when Tindall's squad triumphed over her beloved team. Speaking to Closer magazine, the 46-year-old recalled a game in which Princess Anne presented the trophy to the winning team. This provided Tindall with a unique opportunity to revel in his victory over both the Scots and the Princess Royal herself.

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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."

He then added that Princess Anne was not amused by his antics and told him to hurry up with his victory celebrations.

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Tindall basked in the glory of England's victory (Image: Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Tindall said: "She was like, 'move on, Michael'. I was like, 'debrief over lunch tomorrow?' And she said, 'move on, Michael'."

This amusing story from Tindall reflects his easy-going relationship with a key member of the Royal Family, illustrating how they can laugh over situations that might appear rather daunting to others.

Having since retired from the sport, rugby icon Tindall appeared on the 2022 series of I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, winning over the nation with his relaxed demeanour and playful charm.