Princess Kate’s Favorite Drinking Game Has a Very Posh Twist, Per Mike Tindall
"She still plays it with us."
The public knows Princess Kate as perfectly polished in her signature suits and coat dresses, but behind the scenes, she likes to let her hair down like anyone else. The Prince and Princess of Wales are both known for being famously competitive, and in an interview with Woman & Home, Mike Tindall revealed that Kate’s passion for winning extends to drinking games.
Mike, who is married to Princess Anne’s daughter, Zara Tindall, shared that he’s played a college fraternity favorite with the Princess of Wales…but with a royal twist. “I knew that the Princess of Wales was uber competitive because I'd seen her play a drinking game called beer pong, but normally we play Prosecco pong!” he said, adding, “She still plays it with us.”
Her prosecco pong outings might be fewer and further between these days, though. In March, the Princess of Wales revealed that she’s been cutting back on drinking after being diagnosed with cancer in 2024.
Mike Tindall enjoys champagne at Royal Ascot 2016.
During an event at a brewery, she said “since my diagnosis I haven’t had much alcohol,” adding, “it’s something I have to be a lot more conscious of now.”
As for the Royal Family’s competitive spirit, Mike said they all get involved. “Sport is rife throughout the family—everyone is competitive,” he said, with the “Good, The Bad and The Rugby” podcaster adding, “We did a podcast on how much they love sport.”
Indeed, former England rugby player Mike and his fellow co-hosts invited Princess Anne, Prince William and Princess Kate to record a 2023 episode of their podcast—and Mike even slipped in a mention of Kate’s beer pong playing.
“I’m not going to say you’re uber competitive, but…” Mike said, with Kate smiling and replying that she was “not competitive at all.”
Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.
“I’ve seen her play beer pong!” Tindall exclaimed. Touché, Mike.

Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.
Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.
Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.