Palace outrage: Zara's hubby busted with a blonde

Just weeks after his magical royal wedding to Zara Phillips, English rugby star Mike Tindall is in the doghouse.

As she left Edinburgh’s Canongate Kirk on her new husband’s arm, royal bride Zara Phillips couldn’t hide her joy. She’d just married the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with, in a dream ceremony almost completely free of pomp and pageantry. It truly was the happiest day of her life. But just six weeks later, the Queen’s eldest (and reportedly favourite) grandchild has been left embarrassed by that very same man, England rugby captain Mike Tindall, following claims reported in Britain’s The Sun newspaper that he was spotted getting a bit too close to a blonde on a boozy night out in New Zealand.

The sports star had joined his team-mates to celebrate their narrow victory over Argentina in their first game of the Rugby World Cup at popular Queenstown night spot Altitude, where they watched dwarfs racing. After downing a string of shots, players were photographed tackling each other, grappling with the little people and posing with star-struck female fans. But it was 32-year-old Mike’s hands-on approach with one particular blonde that attracted the most attention.

“They were flirting with each other and getting very touchy-feely,” an onlooker claimed in The Sun. “They went into the doorway, where the girl gestured Mike towards her chest. “She pulled his head towards her breasts and she rubbed the back of his head as she did so. The girl was absolutely stunning and all over him. He clearly thought it was a case of ‘What happens on tour, stays on tour’. “But it’s not the behaviour you would expect of a man who is not only England captain but also now a member of the royal family,” the onlooker told The Sun.

The newlyweds had postponed their honeymoon due to their hectic sporting schedules, and champion equestrienne Zara, 30, was scheduled to join her husband in New Zealand only after competing in an event later this month. Now it’s thought she may jet out earlier to keep an eye on her wayward spouse. There’s no doubt, though, that the bride knew she was marrying a man who liked his alcohol when she promised to be “a loving, faithful and loyal wife” on July 30.