Zara Tindall told royal guards to take action on hungover husband Mike

Daily Mirror

14-05-2025

Zara Tindall opened up about her marriage during a charity dinner this week, admitting that she once had to call the royal guards on Mike Tindall after he woke up in her mother's apartment
Most married couples have had the odd morning-after mishap - but few involve royal guards, palace flats, and one very hungover rugby star.
Zara Tindall has revealed how she once ordered guards at St James's Palace to wake her husband Mike Tindall after he overslept in her mother Princess Anne's royal apartment. Speaking at a charity dinner, the soon-to-be 44-year-old Olympic equestrian told guests about the moment her husband, former England rugby player Mike, snoozed through a key event after a heavy night.
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"He overslept and was staying at St James's Palace," she said. "Our PR girl was like 'Where is he?' I rang the police at St James's and said 'Can you wake Mike up?' He was in my mum's flat. They let themselves in. He says they came in with guns."
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The funny memory was just one of many moments Zara shared during the £210-a-head Sporting Club dinner in London, where she offered a hilarious behind-the-scenes glimpse into royal life, her relationship with Mike, and parenting their three kids - Mia, 11, Lena, six, and Lucas, four.
Zara, the daughter of Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips, admitted that life with Mike is never dull - especially when alcohol is involved.
She recalled one night at Cheltenham races when Mike, a few drinks in, bought a racehorse for £12,000... without checking anything about it.
"We went to Cheltenham and it was sales night. Horses were coming in and you bid on them. He had a few beers.
"Most people when they buy a horse check out what it has done. It was the last lot of the night and Mikey put his hand up and that was it.
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"He was left buying this horse. Annoyingly it did not backfire. The horse ended up winning the Welsh Grand National and it was third in the Grand National. It was so annoying."
The pair met in 2003 during the Rugby World Cup in Australia, when Zara was out with friends and Mike was celebrating England's victory. "He messaged me the whole time like, 'Come for a drink,'" she said.
"At 8am I walked into this bar and Mike was walking out with this girl. He says he only raided her fridge!"
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Now married for nearly 14 years, the couple keep their medals hanging above the drinks in their home bar. "I've got more medals than him," she quipped.
"The Rugby World Cup is once every four years. For us (in equestrianism) there is more to win. England (rugby team) have only won it once!"
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Zara also shared parenting insights, saying she hopes her children inherit her and Mike's sporting values.
"I hope that our children will learn as well. I want to make sure especially how life is now, it is so easy to be distracted from that kind of thing, so we try and work every day to make sure they get the same values that we had.
"I would love them to be involved in sport as it makes you a rounded person. That is what I want for them. I think every child in the whole country should be able to be open and be able to try every sport, at least one time."