Daily Express

Sitting alone and so brave summed the Queen up as a lady, says Tindall

- By Richard Palmer Royal Correspond­ent

THE Queen mourned her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, with such bravery, Mike Tindall has said.

The former England rugby player, who is married to the Queen’s granddaugh­ter, Zara, believes that Philip would have approved of the funeral service, held under Covid-19 restrictio­ns.

It meant the Queen had to sit on her own and there were just 30 guests but “loss is always going to be difficult”, Tindall said.

He told BBC Breakfast: “Having to see the Queen make a stand in terms of having to show what the world is at the moment and sit on her own and be as brave as she was, I thought just summed her up as a lady. She was amazing.

“Then the funeral finished and it was ‘Get in your cars and go

home’, but that is what is allowed, that is what the rules state, so that is what happened.

“It was tough but I thought the actual funeral was done so well that I think he [Philip] will be looking down and he would have actually been happier about the way it happened.” The Tindalls’ son, Lucas, was born just over five weeks ago. His middle name, Philip, is in honour of both Tindall’s father and the Duke of Edinburgh.

Tindall, who also has daughters Mia, seven, and Lena, two, told the programme: “We are loving it at the moment. It is always nice to have a little boy to keep me company. I am surrounded by ladies.”

Lucas was born at home. The family had been sitting in the living room when Zara’s waters broke.

Tindall said Zara’s best friend, Dolly, who is a maternity nurse, was there.

He said: “I thought, ‘Let’s not do a bed’, so I went to the gym and got lots of mats out and towels. Zara did her thing.

“All ladies who give birth are amazing. She did not disappoint.”

 ?? Pictures: GETTY ?? Mike Tindall, meeting the Queen and Philip with future wife Zara, above, said the monarch was ‘amazing’ at her husband’s funeral, below
Pictures: GETTY Mike Tindall, meeting the Queen and Philip with future wife Zara, above, said the monarch was ‘amazing’ at her husband’s funeral, below
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 ??  ?? Diamond anniversar­y...Queen and Duke in 2007
Diamond anniversar­y...Queen and Duke in 2007
 ??  ?? Mike Tindall on BBC Breakfast
Mike Tindall on BBC Breakfast

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