Royal fans delighted by Princess Anne’s ‘mischievous’ response to Mike Tindall complimenting her driving skills – after she was fined for speeding TWICE’

Princess Anne and Mike Tindall’s lighthearted relationship has been revealed in a hilarious exchange captured between the royal mother and son-in-law.

In a special episode of Mike Tindall’s podcast, The Good, The Bad & The Rugby, recorded in September 2023, the Princess Royal joined the Prince and Princess of Wales to discuss their shared love of sport.

But there was one particular moment during the animated discussion at Windsor Castle that had royal onlookers in stitches, while others praised the heartwarming bond shared between Anne, 75, and Mike, who wed Zara Tindall in 2011.

A keen equestrian, Anne was reflecting on her time at Silverstone in the 1970s and how she did ‘three circuits’ of the famous motor racing venue before she added: ‘I think my only claim to fame is that I didn’t stall’.

Mike, 47, then lightly teased Anne about her ‘very good’ driving skills, prompting her to make an exaggerated facial expression of shock as she exclaimed: ‘Oooh!’

In response to their humorous exchange, William then quipped to Mike: ‘What are you after?’ – a seeming suggestion that the ex-sports star was perhaps buttering up his mother-in-law deliberately. 

‘Nothing!’ Mike responded quickly, before flattering Anne further: ‘You’ve always loved driving, you drive everywhere.’ 

The hilarious interaction then took a turn when Anne told William and Kate: ‘We didn’t do go karts’ before Mike interrupted and jokingly exclaimed: ‘I’ve sat in that s**t racing car, you’d look horrendous.’ 

Mike, 47, offered his mother-in-law a heartwarming compliment and chimed: ‘Very good driver actually’, to which the Princess Royal, 75, made an exaggerated facial expression of shock and exclaimed: ‘Oooh!’

‘Listen, I had trouble getting into François Cevert’s seat,’ Anne smugly responded – a reference to the talented French Formula One racing driver, who secured a Grand Prix victory at the 1971 United States Grand Prix. 

The hilarious clip, which has recently been re-shared online, delighted royal fans, with one onlooker sharing: ‘Anne clearly enjoys her son-in-law and Mike clearly enjoys Anne… they both have that twinkle of mischief in their eye’.

Others praised how ‘utterly relaxed’ the pair were in each other’s company, adding: ‘Mike is a credit to the Firm and how loved he is.’ 

‘William saying “what are you after?” is hilarious!,’ another royal fan added. ‘Dude has a serious sense of humour!’ 

The Princess Royal is famous for her wicked sense of humour and has often been praised for her candid responses during public appearances. 

More than 14 years since he wed accomplished equestrian Zara, Mike is believed to have formed a particularly close bond with Anne that is seemingly built on his equally dry sense of humour. 

The former rugby player, who previously revealed he calls Anne ‘mam’, recalled humorously rubbing an England win against Scotland in the Princess Royal’s face when she presented him with a Calcutta Cup trophy in March 2011. 

More than 14 years since he wed Zara Tindall (left), Mike is believed to have formed a particularly close bond with Anne built on the pair’s mutual love of sport and equally dry sense of humour

In a clear display of their budding mother and son-in-law relationship, Mike previously revealed that he fondly calls the Princess Royal ‘Mam’

Speaking to Closer Magazine about the hilarious interaction with Anne, who has been a patron of the Scottish Rugby Union since 1973, he said: ‘Most fellas want to get something over on their mother-in-law.

‘It’s quite niche if you’re the captain of the England team and you play Scotland at Twickenham and, when you win, you’re receiving the trophy from your mother-in-law.

‘I don’t like the majority of the RFU (Rugby Football Union), but I shook every one of their hands and I kept her waiting.’

But the Princess Royal was seemingly less impressed by her son-in-law’s antics, and instead clearly instructed him to speed up his celebrations following the Scotland defeat.

Mike recalled: ‘She was like, “Move on, Michael”. I was like, “Debrief over lunch tomorrow?’ And she said, “Move on, Michael”.’ 

The former rugby player first crossed paths with Zara, now 44, while visiting Australia in 2003, and the loved-up couple tied the knot in a fairytale ceremony held at Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh eight years later. 

But prior to their big day, Anne allegedly had one rather niche gripe about her beloved daughter’s husband-to-be.

At the age of five, Mike broke his nose when the seatbelt came lose on his dodgem car and he head-butted the steering wheel. Then, across his 12-year rugby career, he went on to break it at least eight more times. 

The former rugby player once recalled humorously rubbing an England win in the Princess Royal’s face when she presented him with a Calcutta Cup trophy at Twickenham in March 2011 (pictured)

Mike tied the knot with Zara in a fairytale ceremony held at Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh in 2011. Prior to their big day, Anne offered to pay for a rhinoplasty for Mike, but the sportsman declined

As the royal wedding drew closer, Anne offered to pay for a rhinoplasty for Mike. However, the former sportsman declined given that the Rugby World Cup was around the corner and there was a strong chance he would break his nose once more.

Defending Anne’s suggestion for plastic surgery to the Radio Times in November 2011 shortly after his nuptials, Mike said: ‘It was a light-hearted, jokey comment.

‘It wasn’t a big deal, and look at my nose – can you blame her?’

An avid sportswoman, Anne previously revealed in 2020 how she had sneaked out of Buckingham Palace in the 1970s to race cars with legendary Scottish former Formula One driver Sir Jackie Stewart during a secret trip to Silverstone. 

The pair, who a share a close friendship of more than 50 years, discussed their secret rendezvous during an online video call, with Sir Jackie revealing that the royal appeared ‘disappointed’ when she was informed that he would be the one driving the car. 

Revealing Anne’s love for all things driving, he added: ‘I finally got out of the car and off you went and we could hardly get you out of the car after that, God knows how many laps you did.’

In response, the Princess Royal quipped: ‘This was a long time ago, it’s a minor miracle we’re still here.’

Remarkably, Anne is the first member of the Royal Family to have a HGV license and has even driven a double-decker London bus and police car.

An avid sportswoman, Anne previously revealed in 2020 how she had sneaked out of Buckingham Palace in the 1970s to race cars with legendary Scottish former Formula One driver Sir Jackie Stewart (pictured) during a secret trip to Silverstone

Anne (pictured) is the first member of the Royal Family to have a HGV license and has even driven a double-decker London bus and police car. However, she has also faced driving bans and fines due to reckless speeding

Like mother, like daughter – in 2020, Zara received a six-month ban after she was caught speeding at 91mph in a 70mph area. Pictured: Zara while launching the Range Rover Wise scholarship programme on May 8, 2013

She is one of several other senior royal women who have reportedly undergone specialist defensive and evasive driving training by the Special Air Service (SAS) in a desperate bid to prepare them for how to handle any kidnap or assassination attempts. 

Aspects of the intensive training include evasive driving techniques and how to handle dangerous or unusual situations while on the road.

Yet despite the training, Anne was once given a written warning for speeding after she was caught diving at 90mph on the M1 in 1972. 

Five years later, the Princess was not so lucky and received a £40 fine at Alfreton Magistrates in Derbyshire for doing 96mph in a 70mph limit on the M1.

Then, on October 22 1990 she was fined £150 and banned from driving for one month by magistrates in Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire, after admitting two speeding offences. She said she had been late for an engagement. 

Meanwhile, in 2020, her daughter Zara received a six-month ban after she was caught speeding at 91mph in a 70mph area  near her Cotswolds home.