The one royal who isn't afraid to tell Prince William when he is being 'pompous'

To most, Prince William is a revered member of the royal family who rarely puts a foot wrong.

But, it seems, some of the Prince's relatives are not so immune to his charms and are already preparing to keep him in check when he takes the throne. 

Speaking to the Daily Mail, royal author Robert Jobson said the Prince of Wales's cousin, Zara Tindall, is more than willing to tell the heir "he is being pompous", and readily does so when given the chance. Luckily, the unpretentious Prince is happy to receive the criticism, with the expert claiming that "he takes it" without protest.

Close cousin bond

William and Zara are close in age, having been born just 13 months apart. Because of their proximity in age, the two spent a lot of time together growing up, including enjoying summers at Balmoral Castle and Christmases at Sandringham.

The expert added that Zara "knew him before he was a headline" and "has no angle" when it comes to being forthright with the Prince. It is because of their close bond that Zara, who is married to Mike Tindall, is comfortable sharing her honest opinions.

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It's clear that the Prince doesn't mind being put in his place since he even selected Zara as one of Prince George's seven godparents when he was born.

Unlike her cousin, however, Zara was not bestowed a royal title at birth, with her mother, Princess Anne, refusing to give her daughter and son, Peter Phillips, titles.

Despite this, the royal expert said, Zara is one of the most versatile members of the royal family, describing her "gift" as the ability to switch between being a working royal and a regular person."

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She turns out when the family asks," they told the outlet. The Prince's cousin is apparently unfazed by her royal lineage, having spent "her whole life declining to be impressed by the tent", a trait she tried to pass on to Kate Middleton when she joined The Firm.

Zara's bond with Prince George

Elsewhere, Robert told the outlet that alongside her close bond with William, Zara is also very close with his son, Prince George, 13. He described their relationship as "easy", adding that Zara often "teases" her godson. Mike, too, is said to cherish a sweet bond with the King-to-be. The former Rugby Union star apparently speaks to George about the one topic no one else will - losing."

Everybody else is invested in the boy winning," Robert said, noting that Mike is well-versed in the experience of losing in front of a crowd from his sporting days.