Exclusive:
Prince William and Princess Kate are cheering on opposing sides at tonight’s Wales vs England Six Nations match, and now a lip reader has revealed a nervous comment from Kate
The Prince and Princess of Wales have become unlikely rivals as they cheer on opposite sides at the Wales v England Six Nations match tonight – and Kate appeared to let slip a “nervous” whisper ahead of the game.
The pair are at the match at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, with their patronages seeing them back opposing sides. While Prince William has been patron of the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) since 2016, Kate has been patron of Rugby Football League (RFL) since 2022 after taking over from Prince Harry.
The couple, who are famously competitive, have previously joked about supporting different teams during the tournament, with William supporting Wales and Kate rooting for England. In 2023, William remarked it would be a “tense journey home” with his wife after a Six Nations Wales v England match in Cardiff.
As they took their seats in the stadium, the Princess of Wales could be seen sitting next to Rob Udwin, president of the RFU, and the pair appeared to share a “nervous” whisper. Turning to him, Kate said: “He is nervous, I can see he is”, a lip reader told the Mirror.
It’s unclear which player they are discussing, but in response, Rob said: “He is certainly not an amateur” leading Kate to agree, “he certainly is not”. Rob then said: “He is very impressive”, with Kate nodding in agreement, saying: “He plays very well as I imagined”. Meanwhile, Prince William sat next to Kate and was joined by Terry Cobner, president of the WRU, on his left.
Ahead of the highly-anticipated game, the Prince and Princess of Wales met with injured players who’d been supported by the Welsh Rugby Charitable Trust inside the Sir Tasker Watkins Suite at the stadium. The suite is a space dedicated for use by the players and their families ahead of games.
William is patron of the 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.
The pair’s joint appearance comes as Kate makes a gradual return to public duties after revealing in January that she is in remission from cancer. In a message shared on social media at the time, the Princess of Wales explained she remained “focused on recovery”, though opened up on the “relief” she felt.
“I wanted to take the opportunity to say thank you to The Royal Marsden for looking after me so well during the past year. My heartfelt thanks goes to all those who have quietly walked alongside William and me as we have navigated everything. We couldn’t have asked for more. The care and advice we have received throughout my time as a patient has been exceptional,” she said.
“In my new role as Joint Patron of The Royal Marsden, my hope is, that by supporting groundbreaking research and clinical excellence, as well as promoting patient and family wellbeing, we might save many more lives, and transform the experience of all those impacted by cancer.
“It is a relief to now be in remission and I remain focussed on recovery. As anyone who has experienced a cancer diagnosis will know, it takes time to adjust to a new normal. I am however looking forward to a fulfilling year ahead. There is much to look forward to. Thank you to everyone for your continued support.”
As well as attending Saturday’s match, she also has an engagement with the Irish Guards on St Patrick’s Day in London on Monday.
