Mike Tindall talks about his past bond with Prince Harry
Mike Tindall recently opened up about his past friendship with Prince Harry at Hay Literary Festival in Powys, Wales, this week. The retired rugby star spoke alongside his The Good, The Bad and The Rugby podcast cohosts James Haskell and Alex Payne. While talking about his wedding to Zara in 2011, Mike joked that he was surprised that James did not embarrass himself at their royal nuptials, saying:
“A lot of other people managed that way better than you – [like] Harry, when he was fun,” Mike said, according to Hello! magazine.
He referenced memories from Harry’s younger era, way before he married Meghan Markle on May 19, 2018. According to his story, he and Harry were once very close, and the Duke of Sussex is also the godfather of Mike and Zara Tindall’s daughter, Lena, who was born in June 2018. The group joked about royal life and family moments while also discussing how their friendships and connections have changed over the years. Mike explained that he had spent a lot of time with Harry and Prince William during his rugby career because both royals were fans of England rugby at the time.
Podcast conversation includes jokes about Prince Andrew
The group also joked about Prince Andrew. The comments came shortly after reports emerged on Friday, May 22, 2026, that Thames Valley Police had an investigation connected to alleged misconduct involving the former Duke of York. According to reports, detectives are now looking into possible sex crime allegations connected to a woman reportedly taken to Andrew’s Windsor home. Mike reacted jokingly after Alex Payne mentioned Buckingham Palace, saying his room was far from Andrew’s.
Harry and Mike’s relationship seems to be more distant today
Although Mike and Prince Harry were once spotted at many events together, their friendship reportedly became less close after Harry stepped back from the British monarchy in 2020. Over the years, Mike and Zara supported Harry at several royal outings, including the Sentebale Concert on June 28, 2016, and Harry and Meghan’s wedding in 2018. In 2023, Mike visited Santa Barbara, California, only a short drive from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Montecito home, but it remains unclear if they met privately.
