Queen mourned husband Philip with bravery, says Mike Tindall

The Queen mourned her husband the Duke of Edinburgh with bravery and was "amazing" at his funeral, Mike Tindall has said.

The ex-England rugby player, who is married to the monarch's granddaughter, Zara, said Prince Philip would have liked the "beautifully done" service, which followed Covid rules.

It meant the Queen, 95, had to sit alone and just 30 guests could attend.

He also told of the impact Parkinson's disease had had on his father.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Mr Tindall said the loss of the duke was "always going to be difficult", but that the Queen was "amazing" at the funeral, which took place on 17 April.

"Having to see the Queen make a stand in terms of showing what the world is at the moment and sit on her own and be as brave as she was, I thought just summed her up as a lady," he said.

"Then the funeral finished and it was 'get in your cars and go home', but that is what was allowed, that is what the rules state, so that is what happened."

He said it was "tough" - but added the funeral had been "done so well" that he thought the duke would "be looking down and he would have actually been happier about the way it happened".

Mr Tindall also spoke about family life during the pandemic, and the arrival of the couple's third child just over five weeks ago.

Their son, Lucas, was born on their bathroom floor after the couple were unable to make it to hospital in time.

Mrs Tindall's friend, Dolly, who is a maternity nurse, was present during the birth.

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The baby's middle name - Philip - is a tribute to both Mr Tindall's father and Mrs Tindall's grandfather, who died just 19 days after his great-grandson was born.

The couple already have two children - seven-year-old Mia and two-year-old Lena.

Mr Tindall added: "We are loving it at the moment. It is always nice to have a little boy to keep me company. I am surrounded by ladies."

Mr Tindall, who is a patron of Cure Parkinson's, also spoke about his 74-year-old father, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2003.

'Uphill battle'

He said, growing up, his father had been the "guy who taught me how to play rugby, he was the guy who was endlessly in the back garden doing whatever sport we wanted to do".

He added: "He was just that active guy who loved playing sport and teaching his two boys how to play sport."

But since he was diagnosed, Mr Tindall said his father's condition has "got worse", and managing it had become a "real uphill battle".

He revealed it had also been difficult for his mother Linda, who has become his father's main carer, adding that both his parents had faced isolation due to coronavirus.

"You're not really going out...the Parkinson's nurses have had to be re-used elsewhere with the pandemic that has been going on, so it's been really hard for them to speak to people. It's been tough on them."

On Friday, Buckingham Palace released a video conversation between Mr Tindall and the Duchess of Gloucester - who is the patron of Parkinson's UK - to mark World Parkinson's Day.

During their conversation, which took place on 7 April, Mr Tindall paid tribute to his mother, as a "very stoic, northern lady, who refuses to give her man up", but said he is trying to convince her to accept offers of support.

He said both his parents were on the vulnerable list and had not left their home for a year.

"What they've really missed out of this year is... my mum's missed companionship, really - being able to go and see someone else, because she doesn't feel now that she's comfortable leaving my dad alone."

Mr Tindall said his father had endured a "tough five years", but that the worsening of his condition went back 10 years to 2011 - the year he married Princess Anne's daughter.