The female and male members of the royal family have different means of showing respect to the monarch. Princess Anne's son-in-law Mike Tindall, who has been married to Zara Tindall for 11 years, admitted he was close to making a huge blunder in front of King Charles.
Mike Tindall Almost Curtsied To King Charles After Seeing His Wife Zara Tindall Did It
The former rugby player spoke about an encounter with the new monarch. Apparently, Mike is still not used to the royal protocol of greeting His Majesty because he almost copied his wife, Zara's curtsy.
In the royal family, the ladies curtsy while the gentlemen bow to show their respect to the king and queen. However, in one instance, Mike admitted he almost curtsy to King Charles.
"You know when you're following a routine? So, I almost curtsied to the king the other day," Mike said on Tuesday's episode of his The Good, The Bad & The Rugby podcast, Us Weekly reported. "Without thinking about it. I was just following behind my wife, saw her curtsy, sort of — and then, fortunately, didn't."
The athlete said he immediately realized his mistake, so he managed to "style out" his almost-bow. Yes, he was still able to bow down instead of curtsying to the king. However, he admitted that the way he did it might have appeared odd to the onlookers because, according to him, he looked like he had stubbed his toe.
Mike Tindall Says Royal Family Is Closer After Queen Elizabeth's Death
Mike was by his wife Zara's side during the ceremonial event. He also discussed how the late monarch's death brought the members of the family "close together overnight."
He acknowledged that he is not a direct family member, but he could feel the pain as he watched his wife grieve her grandmother. Queen Elizabeth, Princess Anne and Zara all share a passion for horses, and that is "a real sort of bond" among the three royals.
While Mike reflected on the Queen's passing and when his co-host Alex Payne mentioned how fortunate he was to have the chance to be around Her Majesty, he admitted that he had some regrets, People reported.
"I do. But I also have loads of regrets about not asking her so many more things," Mike said, adding, "having nervousness when you get that lucky seat of being sat next to her."
When asked what he would have wanted to ask the Queen, Mike said he was interested in the Queen's meeting with the other world leaders and the pressure she must have felt during those encounters.
"Just going back through history and everything she's possibly seen — 15 prime ministers, I don't know how many presidents. To go through everything," Mike reflected about the late head of state, who served the monarchy for 70 years. "When she's meeting dictators, she has to stay neutral, she has to perform her duty."
Zara Tindall's husband added that it would take time for them to adjust to living without the Queen.
Stay tuned for more news and updates about the royal family.