Mike Tindall's dad dies after 2-decade battle with Parkinson's disease

The 47-year-old former England rugby union player - who is married to Princess Anne's daughter Zara Tindall, 45 - has told how his father Phil passed away last week, following a battle with Parkinson's disease.

Speaking on his The Good, The Bad + The Rugby podcast, he said: "Unfortunately, my dad passed away last week."

Mike revealed his dad's former rugby team, Otley Rugby Club, paid tribute to Phil last weekend with a one-minute silence - which he was able to watch - and they also included a piece about their late captain in the matchday programme.

He added: "Big shout-out to Otley Rugby Club. They played Chester on the weekend, and they did a minute's silence to my dad, who was captain in '72, '73'.

"That little moment, I got to watch it. Someone recorded it, sent it to me, and then they wrote a little thing in the programme as well, which I read.

The star also told how his father had to wear a cast on his wedding day, when he married Mike's mother Linda in 1969, after Phil broke his leg a week before his big day.

He explained: "He got married in '69, broke his leg the week before, went down the aisle in a cast.

Phil was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 2003 - the year Mike won the Rugby World Cup with England.

In May, Mike told how his father was a "shell of what he once was" because of the disease.

He told Britain's HELLO! magazine: "My dad is not doing great at the moment. Parkinson's is brutal and there is no let up from how it attacks the body and changes people.

"After 23 (plus) years of the disease, it has quite honestly left him a shell of what he once was, which is why I don't want anyone else to see a parent or loved one suffer and have their quality of life decline so massively."

Witnessing how the condition has impacted Philip has driven Mike to help fundraise to find a cure for Parkinson's.

He said: "It gives me so much motivation to help push for a cure and work with Cure Parkinson's on their research, trials and really important work to try and end this disease."