Mike Tindall steps up in key role to support Prince George

However, since he stepped back from the Firm in 2020 and moved to the US, someone else has stepped into the role.

Zara Tindall’s husband has become the new go-to for royal fun and forged an especially wholesome relationship with Prince George.

Body language expert Judi James explored the sweet dynamic. Speaking to Fabulous magazine, she said: “George's original 'fun uncle' and adult playmate did that infamous bolt to the US, leaving a huge Harry-shaped gap in the young boy's life that Mike has more than filled.”

She added: “Mike is the fun uncle everyone needs, but in the case of Prince George, whose destiny is all about duty and responsible behaviour, Mike's presence in his life is completely invaluable.”

James added that Mike will be an “invaluable” presence for the young prince when he grows up.

She continued: “He will joke with the royals but he won't be critical or indiscreet.”

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In contrast, Prince Harry has been extremely critical about his time in the Firm.

Since his move to Montecito, things have turned frosty between Harry and his relatives, thanks in part to a series of bombshell claims that Harry made in his memoir Spare, which was released in January 2023.

Zara is allegedly trying to mediate the feud between the fighting family members, according to a source in Women’s Day.

The source stated: “Zara figures there couldn't be a better time for her to try and broker peace. Zara feels she's the only one who can get through to both of them.”

Harry wrote that his brother was critical of his wife, with whom he relocated to the United States in 2020, and that William allegedly called her “difficult”, “rude” and “abrasive”.

The Duke of Sussex also discussed various points of contention between his wife and Kate. One specific disagreement revolved around Princess Charlotte’s bridesmaid dress, which left Meghan reportedly “sobbing on the floor”.

In one chapter, Harry referred to Queen Camilla as his "wicked stepmother”, and later Harry called her the “other woman” in the book, saying meeting her was like an “injection”.

A friend of Camilla later revealed that she was left “hurt” by the remarks, and Charles reportedly asked Harry to stop “leaking” personal details about the private life of the family.

Aside from Harry’s scathing memoir, the couple’s Netflix series released in 2022, and their landmark interview with Oprah in 2021, had previously added fuel to the fire.