Why the Prince and Princess of Wales will be on opposing sides this weekend

With a big rugby match on the horizon the weekend, the Prince and Princess of Wales face off in friendly competition as they cheer for opposing teams.  Prince William is a patron of the Welsh Rugby Union and Princess Kate a patron of England’s Rugby Football League and Rugby Football Union.

Buckingham Palace confirmed on Thursday that the future king and Kate Middleton are set to attend the Six Nations match between Wales and England this weekend. The match will be held on Saturday at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.

Opposing patrons

A long-standing member, Prince William has been a patron of the Welsh union since 2016, while Middleton took on the role for England’s League in 2022. The role previously belonged to the future king’s younger brother, Prince Harry, and it was the first role to be officially reassigned since the Duke of Sussex and his wife, Meghan Markle, shed their senior royal duties in 2020.

Princess Kate enthusiastically stepped into the role, and has even trained with the team, modestly displaying her athletic ability.

Middleton made a memorable line-out play, where another player hoisted her to catch a ball that was going out of bounds. The Princess of Wales laughed when she caught the ball and passed it on to another player below, as bystanders cheered and applauded.

In 2022, the Prince and Princess of Wales brought their oldest son, Prince George, along for the match, where England won against Wales.

England for soccer, Wales for rugby

Prince William did his best to remain neutral when formally asked if he would support England or Wales in the 2022 World Cup, as he wished both teams well.

“I support both, Prince William said. “I support England more in the football but Wales in the rugby.”

“When I was growing up, Wales didn’t get through to the tournaments. Getting to the World Cup is a big deal, and I’ll be supporting Wales through the process.”