Mike Tindall Reveals Meeting the Queen Was 'Nerve-Wracking'

30 December 2015

Britain's Mike Tindall has revealed meeting Queen Elizabeth II was "nerve-wracking".

Mike Tindall and Zara Phillips

The 37-year-old rugby player - who is married to Princess Anne's daughter Zara Phillips - hasopened up about the first time he sat down to eat with the royal and said he felt very nervous.

He said: "The first time you sit next to the Queen at a dinner table, it is a nerve-wracking experience. You do get used to it over time."

There are many protocols to observe when meeting the Queen.

The traditional form of greeting a royal for men is to bow from the head only whilst women do a small curtsy.

And the Queen should be adressed as 'Your Majesty' and subsequently 'Ma'am'.

In addition, you should not touch the monarch unless she offers her hand, and you should return this not with a firm handshake, but just a touch.

But Mike admitted he wasn't used to the many formalities when he first met the Queen.

The sportsman told The Sunday Telegraph: "The trickiest part is the beginning when everything is new. All the protocols, they're a little daunting."