Prince George and Prince William. Karwai Tang/WireImage
Prince George is following in his father’s footsteps when it comes to being a sports fan, according to Mike Tindall.
“George loves his football. I’ve played numerous times in the garden with him,” Mike, 45, told The Telegraph in an interview published on Saturday, October 12. “He’s passionate about Aston Villa, too. Wherever he is, he’ll sit down and watch that game.”
Mike is married to Princess Anne’s daughter, Zara Tindall, making him an uncle to Prince William and Princess Kate Middleton’s three kids: George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6. Earlier this year, George was photographed cheering alongside William, 42, as Aston Villa played in the English FA Cup.
“They’re just a family who love sport,” Mike added. “Catherine loves her running.”
Mike, a former professional rugby player, joined the royal family when he married Zara, 43, in 2011. He’s spoken candidly about getting inside access to the British royals on his podcast, “The Good, the Bad & the Rugby,” which he hosts alongside James Haskell and Alex Payne.
The trio are gearing up to release their book, The Good, the Bad & the Rugby: Unleashed, on Thursday, October 24 — and yes, the royal family is also talked about within.
Alex Payne, James Haskell, Mike Tindall, Princess Anne, Prince William, and Princess Kate attend the recording of a special episode of ‘The Good, The Bad and The Rugby’ podcast, in the Green Drawing Room at Windsor Castle, on September 6, 2023. Chris Jackson/Getty Images for Kensington Palace
“Believe it or not, marrying into the royal family was pretty easy for me,” Mike writes in the book, per The Telegraph. “They were always nice to me, and I was always nice to them. Simple really.”
Because of their close relationship with the host, both William and Kate have appeared on “The Good, the Bad & the Rugby” podcast over the years.
Kate’s interview on the show made headlines late last year when Mike revealed that the Princess of Wales has a bit of a competitive streak.
“I’m not going to say you’re uber competitive,” Mike said during the September 2023 episode. Kate was quick to reply, claiming that she’s “not competitive at all.”
Prince William’s friendship with Mike Tindall goes back way further than Mike’s romance with the prince’s cousin Zara Tindall. “I’d been [on] the England [rugby] team for a fair while, and [Prince] Harry and William always used to come into the changing room, so [my] mum knew I’d met them before,” Mike told The Daily […]
However, Mike noted that he’s seen her play beer pong before. Kate explained that her love for games came from her childhood.
“[My parents] always encouraged us to be physically active and sporty. They always encouraged us into doing team sports and trying [new] things,” she recalled. “I think that’s the important thing for young people today is actually being exposed to a variety [of activities.]”
While she doubled down on not being that competitive, Kate did admit that she and William try to “out-mental each other” while going head-to-head.
“I don’t think we’ve managed to finish a game of tennis, the two of us,” she said. “It becomes a mental challenge between the two of us.”
