Kate Middleton and the England rugby team . PHOTO: DAN MULLAN - WORLD RUGBY/WORLD RUGBY VIA GETTY
“Kate Middleton’s unwavering support for England extended beyond the scenes of the Rugby World Cup!”
The Princess of Wales, 41, made a surprise visit to the England rugby team’s locker room on Sunday after their win against Fiji in the quarterfinal match in the Rugby World Cup in Marseilles, France.
Princess Kate may be a future queen consort, but she appeared unfazed by the post-game scene in the locker room. She shook hands with players in their dirt and grass-strained uniforms, some even standing without shoes in their socks during the visit. Kate even stood near a pair of muddy cleats on the locker room floor, as seen in photos shared on the rugby team on Instagram.
“Special moments,” the team captioned the candid snaps. “Great to have our patron Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales in attendance in Marseille 🌹#ENGvFIJ | #RWC2023.”
Kate was pictured smiling and clapping along with players Maro Itoje and Ollie Chessum, looking pristine in a white double-breasted tweed blazer and a pair of wide-leg black pants compared to the teammates.
In a second photo, the royal smiled as she shook hands and placed a congratulatory hand on Manu Tuilagi’s shoulder.
On Sunday, the Princess of Wales was pictured cheering the England rugby team on in the stands during their quarterfinal match against Fiji in the Stade de Marseille. She proved once again to be a lucky charm — the team took home the win with a score of 27 to 10.
Their royal patron previously supported England during the rugby tournament, when they faced Argentina at the group stage last month.
Prince William, meanwhile, attended Wales’ quarterfinal match against Argentina in France on Saturday. He brought with him a surprise guest: his 10-year-old son, Prince George! The father-and-son duo wore matching navy suits and red ties to the game.
Unfortunately, the Welsh team came up short, losing 17-29.
Following the game, Prince William shared a personal note on X (formerly known as Twitter) praising the team.
“Commiserations @WelshRugbyUnion, sorry that it wasn’t to be this year but you can be very proud of all you have achieved and I know you’ll come back even stronger. Congratulations @LosPumas – best of luck,” he wrote, signing the message with his first initial, “W.”
Princess Kate and Prince William’s separate appearances at the rugby games over the weekend were no surprise as the pair act as patrons of the different teams.
Kate was named by Queen Elizabeth in 2022 as patron of England’s rugby squad — taking on the title previously held by Prince Harry — while William, 41, has been the patron of the Welsh Rugby Union since 2016.
