George plays peacemaker in rugby rivalry
Prince occupies neutral ground between Welsh fan William and his mother, the England patron
A MATCH between the rugby rivals of England and Wales requires a tough referee. But the tricky job of hard-nosed mediator yesterday fell to eight-yearold Prince George, who found himself sitting between his Wales-supporting father the Duke of Cambridge and his England-supporting mother the Duchess of Cambridge.
The Six Nations match was the first since the Duchess, 40, became patron of England’s Rugby Football Union earlier this month, while Prince William, 39, has been patron of the Welsh Rugby Union since 2016.
While the Duke and Duchess wore Wales and England scarves respectively for the Six Nations match, Prince George remained neutral in a red and blue puffa jacket.
Before the match, George was asked whether he was supporting England or Wales. He shrugged in reply and then smiled at his father, who laughed.
“It’s become quite the thing in the house,” said William, then gestured to his wife. “She is quite into it, I’m trying to stay out of it.”
Before the match the family met Jeff Blackett, the president of the RFU and Gerald Davies, the president of the Welsh Rugby Union, as well as representatives of the grassroots game.
“It’s a big game,” said William. “We’re excited. It’s just so good to be back.
“It’s been quite weird watching games, and football, without the fans.”
George said he had been playing rugby at his school, Thomas’s Battersea, in south-west London, turning to his mother to say: “But I haven’t tackled you yet!” Kate laughed and said: “Yes you have!”
The Duchess’s patronages of the RFU and the Rugby Football League had been held by Prince Harry, who returned them to the Queen when he stepped down as a working royal.
The patronages add to the Duchess’s collection of sporting posts: she is the patron of Lawn Tennis Association and the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. She is also the patron of sports charities like the 1851 Trust, which encourages young people to get into sailing, and SportsAid, which funds promising young British athletes.
The Duchess is known to be a keen sports fan, and played hockey at school and university. She is said to have followed rugby since she was a child, and used to watch international tournaments with her family.
However, her allegiance to the England side has not always been strong. She attended the 2015 World Cup, when she was pictured with her husband cheering for Wales at a match against England. The pair were spotted two years later at the Six Nations in Paris, when they once again supported Wales.
Rivalry within the Royal family is common at the Six Nations. Before Prince Harry moved to the United Sates, his patronage of England’s rugby boards meant he shared a healthy rivalry with his Wales-supporting brother Prince William.
Princess Anne is also the patron of the Scottish Rugby Union, and was seen supporting her team at the Wales vs Scotland match earlier this month.
The tournament is not the first time that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been competitive in public.
In 2011, the pair competed in a dragon boat race when they were on tour in Canada, with the Duke’s boat winning. In 2014, they levelled the playing field on tour in New Zealand, when the Duchess beat her husband in a yacht race in Auckland.
Three years later, the Duke, Duchess and Prince Harry competed in a running race at the London Olympic Park to promote their Heads Together mental health campaign. Prince William finished before his wife, but both were beaten by Prince Harry. Later that year, the Duke and Duchess were coxing rival boats in a race in Heidelberg, Germany. “No pressure,” the Duchess told her crew before setting off, “but I do want to beat my husband.” The Duke trounced his wife, with his boat finishing a length ahead.