Mike Tindall, former England rugby captain and husband to Zara Tindall, has revealed a lighthearted yet firm refusal of a sartorial suggestion made by his wife and mother-in-law, Princess Anne.
The 47-year-old, who earned 75 caps for England and celebrated a World Cup victory as well as competing in 11 Six Nations Championships, married into the Royal Family in 2011. Despite his rugby accolades and royal connections, he resisted a particular piece of traditional Scottish attire.
Princess Anne, the patron of Scottish rugby, and Zara, who attended Gordonstoun School in Moray and retains strong Scottish bonds, once proposed that Mike adopt a pair of trews - tartan trousers forming part of the Highland dress tradition. However, Mike responded candidly to the suggestion, indicating the idea was not to his liking.
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Speaking at a charity event, he explained, “We got married in Scotland and Zara was schooled in Scotland. 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.”
Trews are commonly recognised as part of traditional Highland attire, often reinforced with leather along the inner leg for durability during horse riding.
Mike and Zara marked their 15th wedding anniversary on 30 July. Their wedding took place at the intimate Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh, followed by celebrations at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, Queen Elizabeth II’s official Scottish residence. The couple’s choice of Scotland as their wedding destination is attributed to Zara’s fondness for her late grandmother’s Balmoral Estate and her cherished memories of school life in Scotland.
Mike’s reluctance to follow some of Princess Anne’s advice is not limited to clothing. On the set of the television programme A League of Their Own, he disclosed that Anne had suggested he undergo surgery to correct his nose ahead of his wedding. Having reportedly broken his nose around eight times during his rugby career, Mike initially declined but later opted for surgery before Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding in 2018.
In 2022, during an appearance on Loose Women, Mike clarified that his nose surgery was not purely cosmetic. Host Vernon Kay commented, “Your nose was literally underneath your left eye from rugby. It wasn’t just for looks you had it done?”
Mike replied, “No, I was stopping breathing during sleep, so it needed to be done. I also had my teeth done but that was because they were crossed and looked like a bag of chips.”