Prince Louis’s antics over the Platinum Jubilee weekend were the highlight for many royal fans and one guest in the royal box had the answer behind his boisterousness – “sugar highs”.

Louis was pictured being a typical four-year-old pulling faces and sitting on the laps of family members – including his grandfather the Prince of Wales – during the Platinum Jubilee Pageant.

Former England rugby star Mike Tindall, who is married to the Queen’s granddaughter Zara Tindall, sat behind the young royal with his two daughters Mia, aged eight, and three-year-old Lena.

Speaking on his podcast The Good, The Bad and The Rugby, Tindall said: “Louis was just wanting to have fun, and my two are always mischievous, so it was (about) trying to keep a lid on.

“There were a lot of sweets out back there, so they had complete sugar highs. It’s tough for them, they’re all young sitting there from two to five or whatever, it’s a long time, as any parent knows you just do what needs to be done.”

During Sunday’s Pageant, Tindall joked he was making sure he was keeping a close eye on Louis, by pointing at his own eyes and then pointing his fingers at Louis’ as Kate chuckled at their interaction.

The former rugby star was sat next to the Prime Minister, who was likely to have been aware his fellow Tory MPs would be voting on his future on Monday, in the wake of the partygate scandal.

Tindall said of his chat with Boris Johnson: “Talking about the ability to firefight with Boris Johnson … There are so many questions you want to ask but it’s not really the right time to do it. It was just basic pleasantries.”

When Mr Johnson brought up the year of England’s Rugby World Cup win in 2003, he was wide of the mark.

“He asked a bit about rugby. He thought we won in 99, but there you go,” Tindall said.

During the Party at the Palace on Saturday, the Queen brought the house down with a comic sketch that saw the monarch joined for a cream tea by a national treasure – Paddington Bear.

“I think she’s officially now a qualified actor,” Tindall said, adding “she was bang on”.

He went on to say: “I’ve always said she was funny but she nailed it.”

The Queen’s grandchildren and their families enjoyed a private lunch after Trooping the Colour on Thursday, which Tindall described as his special moment during the Jubilee.

He said: “We had a good cousins’ lunch on the Thursday – that was a highlight.”