Mike Tindall has admitted he always worries about money and that being part of the royal family but needing to work has both “benefits” and “negatives”.

The former England rugby star is expecting his third child with the Queen’s granddaughter, Olympic equestrian sportswoman Zara Tindall.

In an interview with The Times, Tindall, who retired from professional rugby in 2014 and whose income from speeches and dinners has been impacted by the pandemic, said: “You always worry about money.”

He described himself as very fortunate in knowing he had money coming in from ambassadorial roles, but said: “Sponsorships won’t last for ever.

“You’ve got to plan, and now, with a third on the way and what’s coming down the line in terms of school bills, fees to pay…,” he said.

Tindall laughed off suggestions he and Zara were trailblazers for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who are now earning their own money.

He described being part of the royal family but needing to work as “something you just get used to”.

He added: “It has its benefits and it has its negatives. You think about what you do and you have to be aware of it, but it doesn’t necessarily dictate.”

Harry and Meghan quit as senior working royals last year and moved to the US, signing lucrative multi-million pound deals with Netflix and Spotify.

Zara earns money from sponsorships and other ventures, while Tindall currently co-hosts a podcast – The Good, The Bad And The Rugby.

He has also made television appearances including taking part in The Jump and Bear Grylls: Mission Survive.

He described how it was difficult to adjust in the first six months after retiring from professional rugby, when he missed playing alongside his “30 best mates” and could not bear others competing internationally when he was not.

“Sometimes it’s really tricky and you go through some horrible dark times,” he said.

Tindall, 42, described his heavily pregnant wife Zara as his best friend and said they were not finding out the sex of their third child beforehand.

The couple, who already have two daughters – Mia, seven, and two-year-old Lena – are hoping for a boy, but do not mind as long as the baby is healthy.

They live on the Princess Royal’s Gatcombe Park estate in Gloucestershire, as does Anne, and Zara’s brother Peter Phillips and his family – operating together as a farm in a bubble during lockdown.