Mike Tindall's thinly-veiled swipe at Meghan Markle as he admits 'it was easy'

, who is married to King Charles's niece Zara, revealed that joining the was "easy" due to him "being nice to them."

The former England rugby star is known for having a close relationship with several members of his wife's family and revealed in a new interview with to promote his new book that joining royal life was "simple really", which could be seen as a thinly-veiled dig at Meghan Markle, whose marriage into the Firm has resulted in several scandals.

The Good, the Bad & the Rugby - Unleashed with James Haskell and Alex Payne is set to be released on October 24, and in it, he recalls joining the Royal Family after he married Princess Anne's daughter in 2011.

He wrote: "Believe it or not, marrying into the Royal family was pretty easy for me. They were always nice to me, and I was always nice to them. Simple really."

The book, co-written by the three podcast hosts, also shares the four years of the show, reflecting on the highs, lows and memorable interviews with members of the Royal Family.

However, his "easy" transition into the Royal family comes in contrast with others. Prince Harry's wife, Meghan Markle, transition came with tense relations with the family, which eventually led the couple to step down from their roles as senior royals in 2020.

It was reported that Meghan had an unsettled relationship with her sister-in-law, Princess Kate, following alleged disagreements concerning Meghan's choice of flower girls' dresses at her wedding in 2018.

Mike, however, shared in his interview that he has a close bond with his in-laws, including Prince William, Princess Kate and their eldest son, Prince George, noting that he's played football "numerous times" with the young prince and the family are one "who love sport."

A royal source described Mike and his wife, Zara, as "the glue of their generation of royals, no matter how serious the occasion."

They said: "They can help take the family's mind off the gravity of what is going on,' they added.

"While some family members can be very 'royal', Mike is just himself and is relaxed and playful with George, Charlotte and Louis.

"It helps that they all have children around the same age that they can fool around together privately and bring a sense of normality to what is a stressful situation for everyone involved."

Prince William and Mike Tindall have been photographed at various public engagements, such as the polo or the faces where they give each other warm greetings and enjoy catching up.