Zara Tindall had royal guards with guns take action when hungover Mike slept in at Anne's flat

Zara TIndall opened up about her marriage with Mike during a charity dinner this week, revealing a hilarious story about her hungover husband after he enjoyed a boozy night out.

Zara and Mike Tindall have once again proven they are the most down to earth royal couple after recalling a hilarious story about the very hungover rugby star on the morning after a wild night out. The 44-year-old revealed how she once had to order guards at St James's Palace to wake up her husband after he overslept in her mother Princess Anne's royal apartment.

Speaking at a charity meal, the Olympic equestrian told amused guests about the moment former England rugby player Mike slept through a key event following a boozy night out. She recalled: "He overslept and was staying at St James’s Palace. Our PR girl was like ‘Where is he?’

"I rang the police at St James’s and said ‘Can you wake Mike up?’ He was in my mum’s flat. They let themselves in. He says they came in with guns." The funny anecdote was just one of many moments that Zara shared during the £210-a-head Sporting Club dinner in London.

She also offered an entertaining behind-the-scenes glimpse into her royal life, her marriage with Mike, and parenting their three children - Mia, 11, Lena, six, and Lucas, four.

Zara, who is the daughter of the Princess Royal and Captain Mark Phillips, confessed that life with Mike is never dull - especially when alcohol is involved.

She recounted one evening at Cheltenham races when Mike, a few drinks in, bought a racehorse for £12,000, without checking anything about it.

She said: "We went to Cheltenham and it was sales night. Horses were coming in and you bid on them. He had a few beers.

"Most people when they buy a horse check out what it has done. It was the last lot of the night and Mikey put his hand up and that was it.

"He was left buying this horse. Annoyingly it did not backfire. The horse ended up winning the Welsh Grand National and it was third in the Grand National. It was so annoying."

Zara and Mike first met in 2003 during the Rugby World Cup in Australia.

The royal had been with her pals at the time while Mike was out celebrating England's victory.

She explained: "He messaged me the whole time like, 'Come for a drink. At 8am I walked into this bar and Mike was walking out with this girl. He says he only raided her fridge!"

Now, after 14 years of marriage, the couple keep their medals hanging above the drinks in their home bar

Zara joked: "I’ve got more medals than him The Rugby World Cup is once every four years. For us (in equestrianism) there is more to win. England (rugby team) have only won it once!"

Zara also shared that she hopes her children inherit her and Mike’s sporting values.

She said: "I hope that our children will learn as well. I want to make sure especially how life is now, it is so easy to be distracted from that kind of thing, so we try and work every day to make sure they get the same values that we had.

"I would love them to be involved in sport as it makes you a rounded person. That is what I want for them. I think every child in the whole country should be able to be open and be able to try every sport, at least one time."