The quartet, all known for their fervour for sports, delved into their personal sporting experiences and the special place that rugby and physical activities hold in their hearts.
Royals joke about their ‘competitive nature’
When the podcast’s co-host, James Haskell, inquired whether the royal couple would consider participating in a parents’ sports day event, Kate revealed that they had already taken part in one. Despite being informed that a race was “categorically” not on the agenda, it turned out that their child’s school had organised a last-minute parents’ race. This unexpected turn of events left the Prince and Princess feeling somewhat underprepared, but Prince William proudly admitted that he finished in second place.
Recalling the race, Prince William humorously shared, “I started off just running and joining in, and then looked around and I was so far out in front. There was this Italian dad up in front, and I thought: ‘I’m going to catch him.’ A friend of mine who tried catching up with me pulled a hamstring.” Kate added that she had participated barefoot but couldn’t quite recall her finishing position.
The co-host also touched upon the friendly rivalry between the Prince and Princess of Wales, who are known to be competitive with one another. Kate jokingly commented on this rivalry, saying, “I don’t know where this has come from,” before adding, “I don’t think we’ve actually been able to finish a game of tennis. It becomes a mental challenge between the two of us.” William confirmed that they engage in a battle of wits to “out mental” each other for the win.
Turning the conversation toward the young royals, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, Kate disclosed, “They’re all of different temperaments, and as they’re growing and trying out different sports, it’s going to be interesting to see how that grows and develops.”
It wasn’t just the Prince and Princess of Wales who regaled the audience with sporting tales. Princess Anne also chimed in, revealing a fun anecdote about racing a young Prince William around Balmoral. She humorously attributed her success to her agility in handling “corners,” to which Prince William complimented her, saying, “You were quite quick. The look that you had on your face was quite terrifying.”
When asked about her favourite sport, Kate shared, “I love all sports, generally. I love swimming, personally, I love swimming wherever. The colder, the better. When it’s dark and it’s raining, I will go out and seek cold water.” Despite her passion for cold-water swimming, she confessed to not sharing a similar love for ice baths, drawing a chuckle from the podcast’s hosts and listeners alike.
