In a rare show of rivalry, the Prince and Princess of Wales cheered on different teams at last night’s Wales v England Six Nations match.
Prince William, 42, was cheering on Wales, having has been patron of the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) since 2016.
Catherine, the Princess of Wales, aged 43, has been a patron of the Rugby Football League (RFL) since 2022, taking over this role from Prince Harry. She was recently seen cheering on England at a rugby match.
Known for their love of sports, the royal couple has been captured on camera multiple times attending various sporting events. However, according to The Mirror, a lip reader observed that Catherine seemed to be experiencing some nerves during the intense match.
The mother-of-three was sitting next Prince William on one side – who in turn sat next Terry Cobner, president of the WRU.
On her other side was to Rob Udwin, president of the RFU, and the two appeared to share what the publication described as a ‘nervous’ conversation.
A lip reader told the outlet that Catherine turned to Rob, and seemed to whisper: ‘He is nervous, I can see he is.’
It was unclear who she was referring to.
During Saturday’s rugby match, a lip reader noted that the Princess of Wales engaged in what seemed to be a ‘nervous’ conversation. In the image, she is pictured alongside Rob Udwin, the President of the RFU.
The Princess of Wales (pictured, left) attended the match with her husband the Prince of Wales (pictured, right) – but they supported different sides
Reply to Catherine, Rob appeared to say: He is certainly not an amateur’, before adding: ‘He is very impressive.’
Agreeing with this, Catherine said: He plays very well as I imagined.’
As the match went on, Catherine was spotted beaming as the English side dished out a record-breaking score, empty seats began to emerge across the venue, which holds 74,500 people, as soured Welsh fans could no longer bear the brunt of their loss.
Echoes of ‘Swing Low, Sweet Chariot’ roared in the Welsh capital as the English side closed out the game with another try, leaving Welsh fans disappointed following a less than fruitful Six Nations performance.
While Catherine beamed following the win, Prince William appeared more sombre as he donned his bright red scarf matching same the shade as the strip worn by the Welsh rugby team.
After the match, both William and Catherine visited the Wales and England changing rooms to speak to the players.
They then headed to the pitch to meet Rodrigo Gonzalez, co-founder and co-chief executive of 2022 Earthshot Prize winner Notpla, to mark the rollout of its plastic-free food packaging across Welsh Stadiums.
Ahead of the match, the Prince and Princess of Wales met injured players who are supported by the Welsh Rugby Charitable Trust.
The royal couple sat between Rob Udwin, president of the RFU (left) and Terry Cobner, president of the Welsh Rugby Union (right)
They appeared stoic as the game ensued between the opposing sides, sitting in between former Lion’s player Cobner and Rob Udwin
Prince William adjusted his red scarf as the tense rugby match continued
The royals chatted with injured players inside the Sir Tasker Watkins Suite, a space at the Principality Stadium which is dedicated for use by the players and their families ahead of matches.
The beaming couple looked animated as they spoke to injured players – both in overcoats for the chilly Cardiff weather – which sat at a chilly 7C – before taking their seats for the match.
William is patron of the Welsh Rugby Charitable Trust, which was set up to help players who have been severely injured while playing rugby in Wales, and their loved ones, inviting them to every Wales home game and hosting an annual family day.
They officially opened the suite, named after a former Welsh Lord Chief Justice and World War II veteran who was later president of of the Welsh Rugby Union, prior to attending England and Wales’ previous Six Nations clash on February 25.
Catherine took over the role with the RFU from her brother-in-law Prince Harry in 2022, who was forced to give up the patronage as part of the Megxit agreement.
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 gamely taken on her husband in everything from dragon boating to wind buggy racing at royal engagements.
She has played tennis and hockey from a young age and is already royal patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club and is a frequent visitor to the Wimbledon Championships.
While her love and passion for hockey has been well publicised, less well known is her family’s love of rugby.
The Princess of Wales was seen laughing as she spoke with injured rugby players ahead of the Wales v England Six Nations match
The pair greeted injured players supported by the Welsh Rugby Charitable Trust at Principality Stadium ahead of Saturday’s match
Her sister, Pippa, wrote in Vanity Fair magazine in 2014: ‘Rugby was a big thing for our family, we’d plan our weekends around the big matches.’
In the Daily Mail’s Palace Confidential podcast, Jo Elvin joked that the Wales family ‘may need a referee in house’ for the game – which forms part of the Six Nations Championship.
It’s unclear whether the royal children – Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, nine, and Prince Louis, six – are also split on which team they support: Wales for William, or England for Catherine.
In fact, on Mike Tindall’s podcast The Good, The Bad and The Rugby, Prince William did joke that the question of which team the children support has become ‘quite the thing’ at home.
He said: ‘It’s become quite the thing in the house. [Catherine] is quite into it. I’m trying to stay out of it.’
The charismatic royal couple were all smiles as they chatted with the Welsh Rugby Charitable Trust
After the match, both William and Catherine visited the Wales and England changing rooms to speak to the players.
They then headed to the pitch to meet Rodrigo Gonzalez, co-founder and co-chief executive of 2022 Earthshot Prize winner Notpla, to mark the rollout of its plastic-free food packaging across Welsh Stadiums.
Ahead of the match, the Prince and Princess of Wales met injured players who are supported by the Welsh Rugby Charitable Trust.
The royals chatted with injured players inside the Sir Tasker Watkins Suite, a space at the Principality Stadium which is dedicated for use by the players and their families ahead of matches.
The beaming couple looked animated as they spoke to injured players – both in overcoats for the chilly Cardiff weather – which sat at a chilly 7C – before taking their seats for the match.
William is patron of the Welsh Rugby Charitable Trust, which was set up to help players who have been severely injured while playing rugby in Wales, and their loved ones, inviting them to every Wales home game and hosting an annual family day.
They officially opened the suite, named after a former Welsh Lord Chief Justice and World War II veteran who was later president of of the Welsh Rugby Union, prior to attending England and Wales’ previous Six Nations clash on February 25.
Catherine took over the role with the RFU from her brother-in-law Prince Harry in 2022, who was forced to give up the patronage as part of the Megxit agreement.
