The Prince and Princess of Wales alighted in Cardiff this afternoon at England’s Six Nations match against Wales.
Kate, 41, patron of the Rugby Football Union (RFU) and Rugby Football League (RFL), and Prince William, 40, patron of the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) since 2016, appeared in high spirits as they got to the game.
The famously competitive royal couple are in the stands to cheer on their respective teams in their Six Nations tie.
Mum-of-three Kate looked effortlessly chic in a recycled red and white Catherine Walker houndstooth coat that she first debuted in 2018 on a trip to Sweden. William looked equally patriotic and wore a red scarf.
Kate took over the Rugby roles from her brother-in-law Prince Harry, who enjoyed cheering on England before being forced to relinquish patronage as part of the Megxit deal.
The Prince and Princess of Wales alighted in Cardiff this afternoon at England’s Six Nations match against Wales
Competitive Kate and William are all smiling (for now) as they cheer on rival teams at England’s Six Nations game
Mum-of-three Kate looked effortlessly chic in a recycled red and white Catherine Walker houndstooth coat
The Princess of Wales, who grew up watching rugby with her family, is known as one of the sportiest members of the royal family and has brutalized her husband in everything from dragon boating to wind buggy races at royal engagements.
Playing tennis and hockey from a young age, she is already a royal patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club and a frequent visitor to the Wimbledon Championships.
Less known is her love for rugby. Her sister, Pippa, wrote in Vanity Fair magazine in 2014: “Rugby was important to our family, we planned our weekends around the big games.”
Meanwhile, Welsh players threatened to strike for the England match before a series of contractual disputes with their Welsh rugby bosses were agreed.
“Hopefully we will never be in this situation again,” said Wales captain Ken Owens. “The biggest positive we can take from all of this is how united the players have been and how strongly we have supported each other.
“A lot of us senior players in Welsh rugby have been through this before. It certainly stimulated us and that is evident from the unity of the actions taken.’
After a tumultuous period that must be one of the greatest crises ever seen in Welsh rugby, Owens and his team must now somehow turn their attention to the action on the pitch.
Mum-of-three Kate looked effortlessly chic in a recycled red and white Catherine Walker houndstooth coat that she first debuted in 2018 on a trip to Sweden. William looked equally patriotic and wore a red scarf
Kate, 41, patron of the Rugby Football Union (RFU) and Rugby Football League (RFL), and Prince William, 40, patron of the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) since 2016, appeared in high spirits as they attended the game
The famously competitive royal couple sit in the stands to cheer on their respective teams in their Six Nations tie
Kate speaks to members of the Welsh Rugby Charitable Trust before the game
William and Kate unveil a plaque for members of the Welsh Rugby Charitable Trust
Kate took over the Rugby roles from her brother-in-law Prince Harry, who enjoyed cheering for England before being forced to relinquish patronage as part of the Megxit deal
Warren Gatland’s side was hammered by Ireland and Scotland in the first two rounds of the Six Nations and then the strike threat completely overshadowed the lead-up to England.
“We’re probably disappointed that it’s come to this, but as players we had to do it because there’s so much uncertainty involved,” Owens said.
“But it was put to bed on Wednesday and what’s done is done. Now we have to concentrate on the rugby.’
Wales flanker Justin Tipuric sat out Friday’s captain’s run session to manage his training load, but will still start against England.
The Prince of Wales and the Princess of Wales in the stands ahead of the Guinness Six Nations match at Principality Stadium, Cardiff
“We need a win to put the pride back in the shirt after two defeats,” said Owens, who revealed he agreed with his Gatland head coach that previous successes in Wales had covered up the cracks of the country’s previous rugby troubles .
“It tries to end this saga on a positive note. We’ve had a lot of crises in Welsh rugby at various points over the last 10 or 12 years and it’s almost been the national side that has stepped up to cover them.
“If the national team hadn’t won, this probably would have come to a head much sooner.”
