Mike Tindall reveals wife Zara gave birth in the bathroom of their Gatcombe Park home

Mike Tindall revealed his wife Zara gave birth to their newborn son Lucas Philip in the bathroom of their Gatcombe Park home.

The couple, who welcomed their son at the weekend, was at home when Zara unexpectedly went into labor, with the baby arriving quicker than planned. Speaking on his rugby podcast, The Good, The Bad and The Rugby, Mike revealed their baby, which weighed a healthy 8lb 4oz, broke royal tradition when he was born on the bathroom floor of their family home.

And it looks like having the best yoga mat on hand is more useful than for keeping fit, as Mike reveals he rushed to the gym to get a mat to make the delivery more comfortable for his wife.

Mike told listeners how Zara had experienced contractions the night before, so they organized childcare for their daughters Mia, seven, and Lena, two, - but the little boy arrived so fast they didn't have time to make it to hospital. He said, "Sunday got even better because a little boy arrived at my house...arrived very quickly. Didn't make it to hospital. On the bathroom floor."

Mike recalled, "Fortunately Zara's friend Dolly [Maude] is, she's actually more important than I am at making sure she's been at all three of my children's births, she was there and recognized that we wouldn't have got to the hospital in time, so it was run into the gym, get a mat, get into the bathroom, towels down, brace brace brace!"

As Mike Tindall reveals the birth details, he continued, "Fortunately the midwife that was going to meet us at the hospital wasn't that far away so she drove up, got there just as we'd assumed the position, and then the second midwife arrived just after the head had arrived!' 

And when asked how wife Zara was doing, he replied, "As every man will say, she was a warrior, as always. They always are. We can never judge a woman in terms of what they have to go through with childbirth so... no, she was back up, we went for a walk this morning with him, and yeah all good."

Mike Tindall reveals he later took the little one straight downstairs to watch sport on TV, after snipping the cord and enjoying skin-on-skin contact.

Lucas is the Queen's 10th great-grandchild and is 22 in line to the throne.

The couple gave a sweet nod to their grandfather by giving their son Lucas the middle name Philip after Prince Philip, 99, who returned home from hospital recently after having a heart operation.

The Queen's 11th Great-grandchild is also expected by Meghan and Harry in the Summer. Princess Eugenie gave birth to the Queen's ninth great-grandchild in February, her son August Philip Hawke Brooksbank.

Mike announced that they were expecting their third child on his podcast last year, in December 2020. "It's been a good week for me, had a little scan last week - third Tindall on its way," he revealed at the time and added, "I'd like a boy this time, I’ve got two girls, I would like a boy. I’ll love it whether a boy or a girl – but please be a boy."