As Zara Tindall and her husband Mike celebrated 13 wonderful years of marriage this week, one royal butler has hinted that the couple could be the ‘way forward for royals’ with their down to earth behaviour

As Zara Tindall and her husband former rugby ace Mike marked their 13th wedding anniversary this week, one former royal butler has weighed in on the couple’s relationship – while hinting that they could be exactly what the royal family needs going forwards.

In a recent interview conducted on behalf of Slingo, Paul Burrell said Mike has done “incredibly well” to step over the line in the royal world, yet crucially he had been able to “keep one foot in the real world’, something which hasn’t always been easy for commoners marrying into the royal family.

Revealing how Zara had always been destined to fall for someone with a penchant for “realness” and a down to earth persona, Paul went on to explain: “ Mike Tindall has done incredibly well to step over that line into a royal world and yet keep one foot in the real world.

“He must have a very balanced mind to cope with both entities because as we know, those incoming into the family have suffered in the past, and they’ve not always done well. But Mike, coming from a sports background, has done incredibly well, he must just be a very nice guy.

Although Paul and Mike have never yet crossed paths, that didn’t stop the former sportsman from leaving a firm impression on the former royal employee, particularly in the wake of his I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here appearance two years ago.

“I’ve never met him, but he certainly seemed that way when he appeared on I’m A Celebrity,” admitted Paul. “He seemed to be a very grounded, down to earth guy, but then that would be the guy that Zara will go for. She wouldn’t go for an old Etonian, she’d want somebody who lived in the real world.”

He then continued: “Mike brings his realness to that equation and he’s a great asset to Zara and his family. They’re very happy. They just call it as it is, and I think that’s the way forward.”

Interestingly, the “realness” that exists between the happy couple is also notably seen in another prominent royal duo, Prince William and Princess Kate, who Paul noted: “I don’t think there’s anything they’re hiding. I don’t think there’s anything false about them. I think what you see is what you get, whereas Harry and Meghan, you just don’t know what to believe. That’s the difference between the two camps.”