Zara ‘more likely than not’ consulted Queen over Mike’s ITV deal

Zara Tindall shared a very close relationship with her grandmother, the late Queen, and “likely” consulted with her before her husband Mike Tindall agreed to appear on the programme. The former rugby player joined the cast of the 22nd series in Australia last week, entertaining his campmates with anecdotes about life with his royal partner and their children. Royal commentator Katie Nicholl suggested Her late Majesty could be expected to have been informed about his plans to take part in I’m a Celebrity before she died in September.Speaking to True Royalty’s The Royal Beat, Ms Nicholl said: “One wonders, if the Queen was still alive, and knowing how close Zara was to her grandmother, whether she might have actually had a conversation [about her husband appearing] saying, ‘Granny, just so you know…'”I think that’s much more likely than not. But the idea that they’d have checked with Wills and Kate? No!’Former Buckingham Palace press secretary Dickie Arbiter commented: “It’s conceivable. It’s conceivable.”The royal programme’s experts however noted it is unlikely members of the Royal Family other than Zara Tindall will be following in his progress on the reality show.JUST IN: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle SHOULD lose titles if Duke’s memoir attacks royals – poll Zara Tindall likely broached the subject of Mike appearing on I’m a Celeb with the Queen (Image: GETTY) Mike Tindall has been entertaining fellow contestants with glimpses into life with Zara (Image: GETTY)Ms Nicholl added: “Knowing Princess Anne…The idea that she’ll be sitting, cheering Mike on is absolutely unthinkable. I think she’ll be thinking, ‘What on earth is he doing?'”And that’s probably the thoughts of most of the senior royals.”She added: “He’s making a lot of money out of it. I do think this all leads to the much bigger question about Royals and commercialisation.”We dedicate so much time to discussing Harry and his commercial deals. How is this any different? It’s not.”READ MORE: Palace bans staff from announcing details on Kate’s outfits in new Royal Family crackdown Zara Tindall and Mike Tindall attending the Queen’s funeral in September (Image: Getty)This week Mike Tindall revealed his knowledge of the Royal Family’s structure is a bit dusty when he was challenged to answer a question on Zara’s position in the order of succession.Offered to pick between 14th, 17th or 20th, Mike and his campmates selected 17th rather than 20th.Zara is preceded by her older brother Peter Phillips and nieces Savannah and Isla at 17, 18, and 19 respectively.During the show, Mike also revealed additional details about the birth of his youngest son, Lucas Tindall, who was born at home in March 2021.DON’T MISS:Harry ‘snubbed’ William’s offer of crisis talks ‘over leak fears’King Charles to host South Africa’s Ramaphosa in first state visitThousands of messages sent to King Charles III after Queen’s death/news/royal/1694822/kate-middleton-fashion-kensington-palace-royal-fashion Mike Tindall and Zara Phillips received at Buckingham Palace in 2006 (Image: GETTY)He said: “Lucas was rapid. Third one. As we got our stuff to go to hospital, she got out of the bath, she could barely stand, she was shaking. The midwife was like, ‘She’s not making the hospital.'”She was like, ‘You don’t want to be delivering in the car.’ Into the gym, two gym mats down in the bathroom. But yeah.”Asked whether Zara had been in pain, Mike added: ‘She was, it was fast though, from that moment. She almost choked me to death.”You can’t say anything can you? ‘Can you let go, you’re really hurting me?!'”Zara and Mike Tindall met in Sydney during the 2003 Rugby World Cup and married in 2011.In addition to son Lucas, 1, they also share daughters Mia, 8, and Lena, 4.