Mike Tindall shares the real reason for Prince Louis' mischievous jubilee antics

Britain's Prince Charles (left) with Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Louis her great-grandson, covering his ears with his hands, next to his mother Kate and his sister Princess Charlotte. Photo / AP

He won many hearts with his mischievous antics during the Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

But it appears Prince Louis' inability to sit still was fuelled by a little more than just boyish energy.

Mike Tindall, whose wife is the Duke of Cambridge's cousin Zara Phillips, has revealed that the young prince had "complete sugar highs" during the jubilee pageant after consuming handfuls of sweets behind the scenes.

Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall (left), Prince Charles with Prince Louis on his lap and Princess Anne, watch the Platinum Jubilee Pageant. Photo / AP

Tindall also revealed that the Queen's grandchildren and their families enjoyed a private lunch after Trooping the Colour, which he described as one of his highlights of the bank holiday weekend.

And he praised the monarch's Paddington Bear sketch, hailing it as proof of her fantastic sense of humour.

Tindall, who was pictured jokingly warning a boisterous Prince Louis, 4, that he was watching him during the pageant, spoke fondly about the celebrations on his podcast, The Good, The Bad and The Rugby.

He was seated directly behind the Cambridges with his wife Zara, the Queen's eldest granddaughter, and their children Mia, 8, Lena, 3 and Lucas, 1.

He said: "Louis, he was just wanting to have fun, and my two (daughters) are always mischievous, so it was trying to keep a lid on.

"There was a lot of sweets out back though, so they had complete sugar highs. It's tough for them. They're all young, so asking them to sit, because it was two til five or whatever, it's a long time.

Britain's Prince Charles (left) with Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Louis her great-grandson, covering his ears with his hands, next to his mother Kate and his sister Princess Charlotte. Photo / AP

"As any parent knows you just do whatever needs to be done."

Prince Louis was the unexpected star of the jubilee weekend after waving exuberantly from his carriage during Trooping the Colour, making an array of faces while the Red Arrows flew over Buckingham Palace and chatting animatedly with the Queen on the balcony.

As he took his seat in the Royal Box on the Mall on Sunday alongside his parents and elder siblings, Prince George, 8, and Princess Charlotte, 7, the youngster appeared in no mood to sit still.

He pointed and gestured exuberantly throughout, putting his fingers in his ears, throwing a cushion around and constantly asking his mother questions, at one point clamping his hand over her mouth.

After seemingly getting tired of his own seat, he decided to play musical chairs and went to sit with his grandfather, Prince Charles, for a while.

The Cambridges joked on Twitter later: "We all had an incredible time, especially Louis."

Prince Louis leans on Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, during the Platinum Jubilee. Photo / AP

Tindall also revealed: "We had a good cousin's lunch on the Thursday, that was a highlight.

"Outside of that I think the concert was very, very cool. But going to the Derby for the first time ever was a unique experience that I enjoyed."

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who joined the "cousins" to watch Trooping from the Major General's Office overlooking Horse Guards Parade, are not thought to have joined the family lunch, instead returning to Frogmore Cottage in Windsor.

Small talk with the Prime Minister

Tindall, a member of England's 2003 rugby world-cup-winning team, also spoke about the small talk he made with the Prime Minister during the pageant.

"I was talking about the ability to firefight with Boris Johnson," he said.

"There's so many questions you want to ask - it's not really the right time to do it. It was just basic pleasantries.

"He asked a bit about rugby. He thought we won in 1999, but there you go. But he was alright."

On the subject of the Queen's surprise Paddington skit, he said: "She's officially now a qualified actor - that was probably the best thing.

"The drones were pretty good to be fair, but then that was bang on. She was bang on.

"I've always said she was funny but she nailed it."

He added: "And just to see the amount of people. Obviously down the Mall you can all see it, but everywhere going through London trying to get anywhere, it was just chaotic to say the least, but in a good way, in a happy way.

"And I think that's the biggest thing I'll take away from it."