Mike Tindall has opened up about the heartbreaking final days of his father, Phil, who died earlier this month after a two-decade battle with Parkinson's disease. Zara Tindall's husband announced last week that his father had died at the age of 80.
The former England rugby union star, patron of Cure Parkinson's, appeared in a new episode of his podcast show, The Good, The Bad and the Rugby XTRA. He revealed that after three “horrible” months towards the end of his father's life, he felt a “relief” following his passing.
Mike's emotional tribute
Mike said: “Anyone who voted against the euthanasia thing hasn't gone through seeing your dad, who you admire so much, go through what he had to go through. It's just not fair.”
He explained that his dad could not straighten his body properly, saying: “He had a big operation on his back, and if anyone saw my dad, he was sort of bent over. He couldn't straighten; he couldn't hook his head up.”
Health struggles and final days
Princess Anne's son-in-law added: “Then it also comes with dietary problems, so bowel problems. He already had a bowel blockage eight years ago, which he had to have surgery on, and he [almost] died on the operating table.
“Then he chose to sign a non-resuscitation thing. So when he went in again in June with another bowel blockage, it was dire from the start.
“But then somehow he managed to sort of get through that.
“They phoned us three times to say, 'You need to get up here because this could be the last day'. And yet every time I got up there he'd be sat up in the chair... Tough old northern bugger.”
A life well lived
The royal then said: “It's so easy to be selfish and go, 'I didn't really want him to go,' but I think he lived a great life. He didn't owe us anything.”
