Mike Tindall is known for his great sense of humour, and the former rugby captain had several members of the royal family – including the Queen – in hysterics on day one of Royal Ascot in 2019. The dad-of-two was captured on video showing the monarch, Princess Beatrice and the Countess of Wessex the contents of his hat – and it was later revealed what he had been hiding under there. Mike was storing a miniature top hat made of chocolate as a gift for his daughter Mia.
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"It is a chocolate hat that I am taking home for my daughter Mia. I was given it at lunch but it is really annoying to store in a pocket so I decided to put it in my top hat instead," he told The Telegraph's royal correspondent Camilla Tominey at the time. Asked whether the Queen found his sweet gesture funny, he replied: "They are your words, not mine!"
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Mike Tindall and wife Zara attended Royal Ascot in 2019
Mike was joined at the races last year by his wife Zara Tindall, who looked stunning in a floral Zimmermann dress, which she teamed with a pale cornflower blue hat. As a keen sportswoman herself, Zara is a huge fan of Royal Ascot in particular, and the couple looked delighted to be spending time with their family on the opening day.
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The couple share two daughters together
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Mike has a great relationship with the royal family, and is often seen laughing and joking with them all during public events. The sportsman married Zara in July 2011, and the pair share daughters Mia, six, and Lena – who will be two this week. Mike and Zara were previously pictured enjoying a day out at the Burnham Horse Trials with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their two oldest children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte.