The British monarchy used to keep quiet and maintain a dignified image, but now royal relatives with podcasts are changing how things work.
Mike Tindall, the former England rugby captain, has taken on the role of the Crown’s unofficial, unfiltered jester, turning his royal connections into great material for his shows.
Still, his jokes reveal a lot about who is currently favored or sidelined in the House of Windsor. Zara Tindall’s husband joined James Haskell and Alex Payne at the Hay Festival to promote their broadcasting projects and showed how to walk the fine line of royal life.
He joked about topics ranging from taxpayer-funded cosmetic surgery to the disgraced Duke of York, showing that family members on the edge of royalty can handle controversies that would cause big problems for working royals.
The Ghost of the “Fun” Prince
Joking about his 2011 wedding, Tindall made a sharp comment hidden in humor. He teased his co-host for behaving well at the event and pointed out that others, like his daughter’s godfather Prince Harry, were less reserved. Saying he remembers Harry “when he was fun,” Tindall hinted at how the royal family now sees the Duke of Sussex.
For years, the public saw the Duke of Sussex as the monarchy’s lovable, carefree rogue. He was known as “fun.” But when the royal family’s PR team stopped protecting him, people saw a more complex and divisive side of him. This shift in public opinion happened around the time he met Meghan Markle.
Monetizing the Monarchy’s PR Crises
Tindall’s appearance at the festival suggests that extended royal family members are now quietly making money from the family’s most sensitive issues.
While King Charles and Prince William stick to the rule of “never complain, never explain,” the in-laws can turn royal problems into popular and profitable entertainment.
Tindall did not just joke about Harry. He also talked about having his own bedroom at Buckingham Palace, making sure to say it was far from Prince Andrew’s.
Even though organizers told him not to mention the Duke of York, Tindall brought up the topic anyway. He joked that his 2018 nose surgery had a “royal warrant” because taxpayers paid for it.
By turning family scandals into jokes, Tindall shows that being close to the Crown can be very profitable, as long as you do not have a title that comes with responsibility.
Leveraging the Crown for Commercial Clout
This profitability goes beyond just making jokes; it is part of a real business plan. Tindall’s media partners know how valuable his royal connections are.
During the panel, Payne suggested using Tindall’s ties to try to get Catherine, Princess of Wales, to appear in a rugby-themed TV pilot for Amazon Prime.
Although the idea was called a “massive pipe dream” to help Richmond Rugby Club become popular again, the real plan is obvious. The royal image is very valuable.
As the main royal family gets smaller and faces more public criticism, those on the edges are doing well by sharing small, carefully chosen stories from inside.
Some fans of Markle are also wondering why she is not allowed the same kind of freedom. When she expresses herself, she gets heavily criticized for using her royal connections for financial gains.
On the other hand, Tindall keeps his Buckingham Palace bedroom while also sharing what happens just outside its doors.
