The Prince and Princess of Wales are “very competitive” with each other because they both love sports, a royal photographer has said.
Samir Hussein, who has taken hundreds of photographs of the royal family over more than a decade, including at royal weddings and on tours, said the couple have “competed a lot over the years.”
speaking to American weekly, explained: ‘They are definitely very competitive. They are both very athletic.’
“They have competed many times over the years, whether it be boat racing or even sprint racing… and they are always very competitive.”
He added: “It’s always fun to see that because you can see the humor and the competitive side of it.”
The Prince and Princess of Wales are “very competitive” with each other as they both love sports, said a royal photographer (pictured taking part in a race during a training day for the Heads Together team in 2017).
Samir, whose father Anwar Hussein is also a royal photographer, said his “standout” memory was during the royal tour to India and Bhutan in 2016.
‘William and Kate tried out some archery and both looked great.
‘Kate was wearing traditional clothing and when it was her turn, I moved to move right in front of where she was shooting. She shot the arrow and for a second it looked like she was coming straight at me.”
He added that he “ran away” but managed to get his camera up “just in time” to capture Kate “laughing out loud.”
The Prince and Princess of Wales spoke about their competitive reputation on Mike Tindall’s The Good, The Bad and the Rugby podcast last year.
Kate and Prince William battle it out on stationary bikes during visit to South Wales
The Princess of Wales was crowned victorious with a trophy despite wearing a skirt and heels
The couple was compared to competitive sitcom character Monica Geller from Friends.
William, along with a lively Kate and Princess Anne, was joined by former England rugby ace Mike Tindall, who is married to Zara, the Princess Royal’s daughter and William’s first cousin.
“I’m not going to lie… but Mike has shown that you two are super, super competitive, a bit like Monica from Friends, and if you play table tennis, this will go on for hours and hours, and it will be ‘Double or Quit,'” he asked. James Haskel.
“I’m not really that competitive, I don’t know where this comes from,” Kate replied.
She then joked that she and William never managed to finish a tennis match, and laughed as she explained that “it becomes a mental challenge between the two of us.”
Samir, whose father Anwar Hussein is also a royal photographer, said his “standout” memory was during the royal tour to India and Bhutan in 2016.
Samir explained that Kate was wearing traditional clothing and moved to move directly in front of where she was shooting to get this shot.
Mike then asked if the couple’s three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, are showing signs of competitiveness.
Princess Anne chimed in and said: “I would suggest just a little bit.”
Kate revealed: ‘The interesting thing is that they obviously all have very different temperaments.
“And as they get older and try different sports (they’re obviously still very young), it will be interesting to see how he grows and develops.”
Earlier in the podcast, William had talked about how important sports are for kids, especially when it comes to learning how to win and lose.
Speaking of the skills acquired in “those early years playing team sports,” he said, “Learning how to lose, which I think we need to focus on more today.”
William takes home gold: William and Kate competed in hockey in Sweden in 2018
Kate, who was a great hockey player at school, had good stance but unfortunately missed two of her three shots.
‘I think people don’t know how to lose well. Speaking particularly of our children, I want to make sure they understand this.
“I think it’s very important from a young age to understand how to lose and why we lose, and to grow from it and what you learn from that process.
‘But also win well and not boast. There are so many life lessons that help us all throughout life, in building friendships, in building relationships, in the workplace, that are learned in those early years of playing team sports.’
He also spoke about enjoying his cousin Zara’s sporting success, revealing that the only time he cried was when he saw the now 42-year-old win the European championship in 2006.
William said: “I was in Exmoor at the time camping. We were all huddled around the phone looking at it. She was there, crying while the flag was raised. It was in pieces.