Zara and Mike Tindall surprised passengers on an economy flight recently

Royals, they're just like us...

Mike Tindall and Zara Tindall pose for a photo on the grid during the F1 Grand Prix of Monaco at Circuit de Monaco on May 28, 2023 in Monte-Carlo, Monaco
(Image credit: Photo by Dan Mullan / Getty)

Between Prince William and Princess Kate getting in trouble for riding a helicopter, and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle getting in trouble for riding a private jet, you'd be forgiven for thinking that royals don't quite use the same modes of transport as the rest of us.

But Zara and Mike Tindall have proven us wrong by showing royal fans how down to earth they can be. Recently, Princess Anne's daughter and her former rugby pro husband surprised passengers when they were spotted on board a commercial Air France flight, sitting in economy.

The Tindalls were travelling from Nice to London Heathrow, after they had attended the Monaco Grand Prix.

The Sun published photos of the two doing normal airport things such as waiting for the flight and stashing their bags in the overhead compartment once on the plane.

The publication also spoke to fellow passenger James Smith, who revealed: "I got a selfie with Mike before getting on the plane.

"We were blown away that they were sitting in economy class.

"Everyone left them to mind their own business — I chatted to Mike. He was very friendly and was a bit tired — probably from an after party from the F1.

"He spoke about the race. He told me he really enjoyed the last 12 laps. They were both lovely."

While attending the sporting event in Monte-Carlo, Mike and Zara appeared to be having a ~Grand~ old time, even stopping to pose for a photo while beaming at the camera and leaning into each other.

It's not the first time the Tindalls have been praised for their relatable ways.

When Mike invited his wife to be his first podcast guest on his new series, called Mike Drop, royal fans couldn't help but notice the sweet banter between the two.

"What a lovely interview. It was funny, kind and  informative. Enjoyed all of it. The friendly laughter between you both was a pleasure to see. Well done," one person commented at the time.

Never change, Mike and Zara!

Iris Goldsztajn
Iris Goldsztajn is a celebrity and royal news writer for Marie Claire. As a London-based freelance journalist, she writes about wellness, relationships, pop culture, beauty and more for the likes of InStyle, Women's Health, Bustle, Stylist and Red. Aside from her quasi-personal investment in celebs' comings and goings, Iris is especially interested in debunking diet culture and destigmatising mental health struggles. Previously, she was the associate editor for Her Campus, where she oversaw the style and beauty news sections, as well as producing gift guides, personal essays and celebrity interviews. There, she worked remotely from Los Angeles, after returning from a three-month stint as an editorial intern for Cosmopolitan.com in New York. As an undergraduate at the University of California, Los Angeles, she interned at goop and C California Style and served as Her Campus' national style and LGBTQ+ editor. Iris was born and raised in France by a French father and an English mother. Her Spotify Wrapped is riddled with country music and One Direction, and she can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.