Prince William has turned to Mike Tindall in the absence of Prince Harry, a royal commentator has claimed.
Zara Tindall's husband was seen throwing an arm around Prince George, 10, on Christmas Day at Sandringham, implying a close bond between the two families.
Princess Kate and Prince William both recently appeared on Mike's rugby-themed podcast, The Good, The Bad, and The Rugby, where Mike teased the couple about their competitive nature when playing beer pong.
Since Prince Harry's departure from the UK the Prince of Wales has turned to Mike for support, royal commentator Dickie Arbiter has claimed.
Prince William turns to Mike Tindall in absence of Prince Harry
Getty
The former Palace press secretary said: “Mike is a pretty straight guy.
“He’s down to earth, and William is too.
"Put aside [William’s] role in state occasions, where he has to maintain a certain decorum; the rest of the time, if he goes to a rugby or football match he’s in there cheering with the rest of the fans.”
Both Prince William and Tindall are “likeable guys”, according to the royal commentator.
Zara Tindall and Mike Tindall joining the Royal Family on Christmas Day
PA
Zara’s longstanding closeness to her cousin William has “rubbed off” on Mike, Arbiter claimed.
He added: “We’ve seen [this] time and again in William and Mike’s interactions.
"They are a proper family. They’re not playing at it.”
On Mike's bond with William, Arbiter also told The Telegraph: “They are two peas from the same pod, they’ve just had different upbringings.”
Zara Tindall and Mike Tindall have down-to-earth personalities
Reuters
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Prince William and Kate appearing on Mike Tindall's rugby-themed podcast
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Royal biographer Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine, suggested that Mike's appeal to Prince William is through his down-to-earth nature.
She said: “Mike Tindall has that kind of sportsman camaraderie that would especially appeal to William, who was once a wild boy himself.
“Mike gets funnier under the influence of alcohol and can be totally outrageous.
"William cannot do this anymore as he is too aware of his responsibilities. But he can live vicariously through Mike.”