Mike Tindall has shown his support for the Prince of Wales in a rare royal gesture on his Instagram.
William travelled to Leeds this week to officially open the Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease (MND) – a life-shortening condition that damages motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord, leading to muscle weakness and loss of function.
Mr Tindall reposted footage of the future King at the event as the former rugby union star provided his backing.
The centre has been opened in the name of former rugby league star Rob Burrow, who died in June at the age of 41, after a four and a half year battle with the disease.
Mr Tindall reposted footage of the future King at the event
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PAMr Burrow was diagnosed with MND just two years after retiring from rugby, later deciding to raise awareness of the condition and find funds in pursuit of a cure.
Mr Tindall appeared on The Rob Borrows Podcast with his wife, Zara, in 2023 and has been involved in multiple charity events for MND.
Rob joked about a nickname Mr Tindall coined for the Prince of Wales: “One Pint Willy”.
Zara’s husband made the admission on the podcast, with William telling Mr Burrow: “You got the nicknames out of him; he apologised to me about that.”
Mike Tindall gave the Prince of Wales the nickname ‘One Pint Willy’
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GETTY
Mr Tindall also attended The Sapphire Ball to raise awareness for the disease.
He told Hello ahead of the event: “Being a Yorkshireman, I watched a lot of the Rhinos games when I was growing up and through my professional career.
“Rob was one of those players I loved to watch because, not only was he world-class at what he did, he also promoted the game as a sport for everyone and through his size, he showed that if you work hard, you can still dominate.”
The Prince of Wales presented Mr Burrow and Kevin Sinfield, the current skills and kicking coach for the England national rugby union team, with their CBEs back in January 2024 at Headingley Stadium.
At the time, Mr Burrow asked William if he could officially open the Centre in the future – a promise on which the prince has now delivered.
Ever since then, the Prince of Wales has continued to support Rob’s late wife, Lindsey, including by providing a foreword for her memoir.
The Centre is inspired by Mr Burrow’s determination to create an establishment that treated patients as people, not conditions, and prioritised their needs and those of their families.
It is the first purpose-built centre dedicated entirely to MND care, research, education, and holistic support in the UK, and it stands as a trailblazer for others across the country.
Prince William was greeted by Lindsey Burrow as he officially opened The Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease
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GETTYWilliam was met on arrival by Lindsey and her children, Macy, Maya and Jackson, as well as Mr Sinfield.
The father-of-three then toured the new world-leading facility, including the R&D area, where he was joined by Mr Burrow’s father, Geoff.
The prince also met others who supported the fundraising efforts, as well as the medical team, who are already providing care to patients and their families.
When presenting Mr Burrow his CBE last year, William said: “I brought your CBEs up here to give to you today if that’s okay.
“While you’re in your home, in Leeds, surrounded by your family and friends – I thought today was a good day.
“The most amount of thank yous and congratulations for all the inspirational work you’ve done Rob, you’ve been amazing and everyone’s so proud of you.”