Sport can be a divisive topic, and it looks as though even the Prince and Princess of Wales’ household isn’t immune from some friendly rivalry. The royal couple have both stepped out in support of the Women’s Rugby World Cup on Saturday afternoon, but they are supporting rival teams 100 miles apart! Prince William was at Sandy Park stadium in Exeter watching Wales against Fiji meanwhile Princess Kate was at The American Express Stadium to support England as they face off with Australia. The prince is patron of the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) while the princess holds a similar position with the Rugby Football Union (RFU), so technically, their allegiances are in different camps!
William was the first to arrive for his match, as the Prince of Wales headed to Exeter to watch Wales take on Fiji. The royal was seen wearing a black suit for the match.
Before the match, the royal was seen chatting Alan Gilpin, the Chief Executive Officer of World Rugby, and Tony Rowe, the CEO and Chairman of Exeter Rugby Group PLC.
It all got too much for one of the players, and William consoled them with a hug. How kind!
William and Kate’s children’s love for sport
The royals chose to leave their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis at home this time, despite them all loving live sport and often making appearances. Prince George often watches Aston Villa and England football matches alongside his father and Princess Charlotte attended Wimbledon this year with her mum. Charlotte was even present when England’s Lionesses roared to a 3-1 victory against Spain in the final of the UEFA Women’s Euro tournament, to become two-time consecutive champs.
Royal biographer Robert Jobson has told HELLO! that he believes it’s the royal couple’s passion for sport that’s seen the children become fanatics too. “The Wales family are sport-mad and William and Catherine have clearly passed on their passion to their kids, so we’ve seen George and Charlotte popping up at major sporting events in a way we’ve not seen in previous generations of the royal family,” he said.
Princess Charlotte of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales attend the Wimbledon Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club
Talking about Charlotte’s future in the royal family, he said: “There is no rush for Charlotte to take on a royal role, but there will be roles to fill in future. We know that she’s quite sporty and she likes her ballet, so I would have thought that she might eventually take on patronages relating to sports, like her parents, and dance, like her late grandmother Princess Diana.”
Prince George has made his mark in the fashion world already. In 2015, he was ranked number 49 in GQ’s 50 Best Dressed Men in Britain and has appeared on Tatler’s best-dressed list.
2. How many godparents?
The young royal has seven godparents, including Oliver Baker, Emilia Jardine-Paterson, Earl Grosvenor, Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, Julia Samuel, Zara Tindall and William van Cutsem – so I’m sure he must get lots of presents surrounding his birthday!
3. Young pilot
He took his first flying lesson at the age of 11 and flew a single-engine Piper PA-28. For safety purposes (and for readers’ peace of mind), the aircraft did have dual controls and was safely designed for flight training.
4. Generation Alpha
He is the first future King born in the 21st century, making him part of Generation Alpha and an exciting time ahead…
5. Flying solo
Since the young royal is now 12, he cannot travel alongside his father, Prince William. The protocol states that two heirs cannot fly together when undertaking royal duties.