The Queen's grandson-in-law Mike Tindall says he almost accidentally curtsied to King Charles because he was copying his wife

• Mike Tindall said he almost curtsied to King Charles because he was following his wife's lead.
• Tindall is married to Princess Anne's daughter, Zara. He's a non-working member of the royal family.

Mike Tindall said he almost accidentally curtsied to King Charles III after he became monarch.

Tindall, 43, is a former professional rugby player and a non-working member of the royal family, meaning he does not carry out duties on behalf of the monarch. He is married to Princess Anne's daughter, Zara Tindall, making him a grandson-in-law to the late Queen Elizabeth and a nephew-in-law to the king.

Speaking in a new episode of his podcast, "The Good, The Bad & The Rugby," which aired on Tuesday, Tindall said the incident occurred during a private family meeting with Charles.

"You know when you're following a routine? So, I almost curtsied to the king the other day," Tindall told his co-hosts, James Haskell and Alex Payne.

"Without thinking about it. I was just following behind my wife, so her curtsy, sort of — and then fortunately didn't," Tindall added.

Tindall said he managed to "style it out" into a lower bow, adding: "I might have looked like I stubbed my toe or something on the floor."

According to the royal family's official website, there are "no obligatory codes of behaviour" when meeting the monarch or the royal family, however, there are traditional forms of greeting which are optional.

For women, this would involve doing a small curtsy, and for men, this would mean giving a small neck bow, "from the head only," the website states.

Tindall also opened up about how the royal family dynamic may change now that Charles is monarch. He said that while everyone previously already knew Charles as the Prince of Wales, the public only ever knew the Queen as monarch.

"I'm very aware of the official, but then I think when the official bit is done... I think I would have a way closer relationship because of history," Tindall said of Charles.

"For anyone who ever met the Queen, she was always 'the Queen.' You only knew her as that and you held her in that regard," he added.

Queen Elizabeth was on the throne for 70 years, making her the longest-serving monarch in British history. Charles was therefore the longest-serving heir apparent and the oldest person to become monarch at the age of 73.

Buckingham Palace did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.