Mike Tindall reveals sweaty reality of Ascot with Royal Family: ‘It’s a bit of a nightmare!’

Zara Tindall’s husband is a regular at the Berkshire event

Mike Tindall has described the experience of travelling to Royal Ascot with members of the Royal Family, highlighting the historic carriage procession and traditional pageantry that accompany one of the UK’s most prominent racing events.

Speaking on the Luxury Dispatch podcast with Tom Chamberlin, Mr Tindall reflected on the ceremonial journey through the Berkshire course, which forms part of the daily Royal Ascot procession.

 

He said: “That British history. That is the history that we are trying to continue. The royal procession down the course. It’s still a standalone feature of what happens at Royal Ascot.”

Princess Anne’s son-in-law outlined the sequence of travel involved, beginning with official vehicles before transferring into horse-drawn carriages.

He said: “You jump in cars. The fleet of cars that they use are very old, historical, good old-fashioned sort of cars.”

The father-of-three later clarified they were “state cars” used to transport guests towards the Great Park before the carriage stage of the journey.

He added that the carriage ride itself lasts approximately 20 minutes from start to finish

Mr Chamberlin referred to the traditional landaus used in the procession, asking whether they were the wicker-sided carriages associated with the event.

Prince William and Mike Tindall

Mike Tindall has revealed the sweaty reality of being in the Royal Family procession at Ascot

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Zara Tindall’s husband confirmed this, describing the experience of travelling through the course: “You go past, I don’t know how many schools you go past, it seems to be a load.

“They always let the children out and wave their British flags, and I’m thinking, that’s great.”

He noted the conditions can be challenging in hot weather: “If it’s too hot, it’s a bit of a nightmare. The sweat!”

Mr Tindall laughed before adding: “Don’t take the hat off – there’s this, like, pool of water drops out.”

Mike Tindall

Mike Tindall sat in the royal procession in 2022 with Princess Anne and Zara Tindall

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He described the final stretch of the journey as particularly striking, entering the course as the national anthem plays.

“When you come into the stadium, and the anthem starts, it’s quite special.”

Mr Tindall is a regular attendee at Royal Ascot with his wife, Zara, and senior royals.

He was first pictured attending with the Princess Royal’s daughter in 2007, four years before they tied the knot.

In 2019, he was pictured interacting playfully with Queen Elizabeth II during Ascot, including a hat-related gag that made her laugh.

Just last year, the Tindalls featured in the Royal Family procession with Zara’s older brother, Peter Phillips, and his fiancée, Harriet Sperling.