A Surprise Royal Made an Appearance at Super Bowl 2026

Players jumping over each other at Super Bowl 2026; Prince Harry and Meghan Markle wearing dark suits on a red carpet

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Although the Super Bowl was held in California this year, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle didn't attend the big game. But there was one member of the Royal Family who made an unexpected appearance in San Francisco on Sunday, February 8.

Princess Anne's son-in-law Mike Tindall—who is married to Anne's daughter, Zara—is a huge NFL fan, and the former England rugby player showed up in the stands on Sunday. In a photo on his Instagram Story, Mike wore a blue foam football helmet and a Bad Bunny lanyard as he posed with a friend at the Patriots vs. Seahawks showdown.

Mike's wife, Zara, was not pictured in the snapshot.

Mike Tindall wearing a blue helmet and cheering with a friend at the Super Bowl — Mike Tindall (right) and a friend are pictured at Super Bowl 2026.

Prince Harry and Princess Eugenie sitting in the stands at the Super Bowl 2022 — Princess Eugenie and Prince Harry attend the 2022 Super Bowl.

While it's unclear if Mike knows Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator Aden Durde, the Middlesex, England-born coach made history Sunday night by becoming the first non-American coach to win a Super Bowl.

In 2022, Prince Harry and cousin Princess Eugenie attended another California Super Bowl, watching the Los Angeles Rams play against the Cincinnati Bengals. The 2022 game marked the first and only time the Duke of Sussex attended the big game, despite reports that the duke and duchess were set to attend this year's event.

However, Prince Harry did present the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award at the 13th Annual NFL Honors in 2024.

Although they didn't attend this year's Super Bowl, Meghan and Harry did make a surprise appearance at the World Series last fall. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex wore matching Los Angeles Dodgers caps as they took in one of the World Series games, and Meghan later showed a video of them cheering for the Dodgers from home as their team clinched the championship.

TOPICS

Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.

Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.

Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.