Mike Tindall reveals cheeky party game that makes Princess of Wales ‘uber competitive’

Mike Tindall, the husband of Prince William ’s cousin Zara Tindall, has lifted the lid on what goes on at royal parties, including the game that makes the Princess of Wales ‘uber competitive’

View 3 Images

Mike Tindall with the Princess of Wales (Image: Getty Images)

The Princess of Wales is known for her sporty nature and desire to win – and royal relative Mike Tindall has revealed another game that makes her ‘uber competitive’.

Mike, the husband of Prince William ’s cousin Zara Tindall, says Kate likes to get stuck in at party game beer – although the royals normally swap out the beer and play ‘prosecco pong’ instead.

The ex-England rugby player, who is Princess Anne’s son-in-law, says he has played beer pong at parties with Kate, which requires players to aim ping pong balls at cups filled with booze. And he also revealed that royal functions can get rowdy.

 

View 3 Images

Mike with William, Kate, Princess Anne and his co-hosts on a special episode of The Good, The Bad and The Rugby(Image: Getty Images for Kensington Pala)

 

He told Woman & Home magazine: “Sport is rife throughout the [Royal] family – everyone is competitive. We did a podcast [with William, Catherine, and Princess Anne] on how much they love sport.

“I knew that the Princess of Wales was uber competitive because I’d seen her play a drinking game called beer pong, but normally we play prosecco pong!”

It’s not the first time Mike has talked about Kate playing beer pong. In 2023, she, Prince William and Princess Anne appeared on an episode of Mike’s podcast The Good, The Bad and the Rugby.

Again, he referred to Kate as being “uber competitive” to which the princess laughed: “I’m not competitive at all”, and Mike added: “I’ve seen her play beer pong!” Mike’s comments come just days after he appeared to take a brutal jibe at Prince Harry, saying he used to be ‘fun’.

Talking about his wedding to Zara, a niece of King Charles, in 2011, he feigned surprise that co-host James Haskell had not made a fool of himself at the nuptials.

 

View 3 Images

Mike is married to King Charles’ niece Zara Tindall(Image: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

 

But he also made a jab at Harry who now lives removed from the royal lifestyle with his wife Meghan Markle, in California. Ribbing his co-host Haskell, he said: “A lot of other people managed that way better than you – [like] Harry, when he was fun.”

Harry, the Duke of Sussex, is godfather to Tindall and Zara Phillips’ second daughter, Lena, but the friendship is said to have cooled since Harry and Meghan made the move to Montecito.

During their session at Hay Festival, there were plenty more gags about Tindall’s royal connections. Haskell poked fun at Mike on his 2018 corrective rhinoplasty for a broken nose, saying: “Taxpayers’ money fixed it. It’s got the royal warrant if you look inside it.”

Tindall, who won 75 caps for England between 2000 and 2011, was part of the England rugby squad which won the 2003 World Cup. He was also a member of the team which won the 2003 Six Nations, having played in 11 Six Nations events throughout his career.

He met Zara Phillips, the eldest granddaughter of the late Queen, during the 2003 Rugby World Cup in Australia. Their engagement was announced in December 2010 and the pair married in July 2011 in Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh.

The couple live at Aston Farm on Princess Anne’s 700-acre Gatcombe Park estate in Gloucestershire with their three children. They moved into a converted Grade II listed farmhouse in 2013, just a short distance from Anne’s main royal residence.