Fans of Princess Kate can look forward to her first solo date in 2026. He is linked to a rivalry with husband William.
Princess Kate’s first solo assignment of 2026 has been announced: she will invite the England women’s rugby team to a reception at Windsor Castle to celebrate their World Cup victory in September 2025.
As the US magazine “People” reports, the Princess of Wales, who has been patron of the Rugby Football Union since 2022, will receive captain Zoe Aldcroft’s team this Thursday. The players and staff will receive a tour of the royal residence before the meeting. Afterwards they will show her the Rugby World Cup trophy and pose for a group photo.
Princess Kate took over patronage from Prince Harry
Kate is a patron of the England Rugby Football Union – a post she took on after Prince Harry’s previous patronages were reassigned after he and Meghan retired from active royalty. This means she is now in direct competition with her husband Prince William, the patron of the Welsh Rugby Union.
The couple even attended Rugby World Cup games separately on the same day last year: while Kate cheered on England against Australia, William supported the Welsh team against Fiji. In this friendly sports rivalry, Princess Kate is currently ahead – England were world champions in 2025 and remain the top-ranked women’s rugby team in the world. Wales, on the other hand, were eliminated in the preliminary round last year and are currently ranked 12th in the world.
Brother-in-law Mike Tindall joked about Kate on the podcast
Kate has also secured the support of the royal family’s rugby expert. Mike Tindall, who is married to Zara, Princess Anne’s daughter, played rugby professionally from 1997 to 2014. During his career he played eleven years for the England national team, with whom he won the Rugby World Cup in 2003. Today Mike hosts the podcast “The Good, The Bad & The Rugby” alongside his former teammate James Haskell and English sports presenter Alex Payne.
When Kate took part in a rugby training session at Twickenham Stadium in 2022 to officially take up her role as patron of English rugby, it also got podcasters talking, according to “People” magazine. “She looks like a more natural rugby player than the two of you combined,” Alex joked to Mike and James. Mike laughed and admitted that he was actually hoping for some ammunition for the family chat. “I messaged Ellis Genge: ‘Mate, please tell me what she screwed up so I can tease her a bit in the family WhatsApp group,'” he said. But Genge disappointed him – in a positive sense: “No, she was really good and she could kick really well,” the player replied. “She has real fighting spirit.”
While the rugby meet at Windsor Castle is Princess Kate’s first solo appearance this year, she began 2026 with a joint appearance alongside Prince William. The couple visited staff at London’s Charing Cross Hospital on January 8 and spoke to staff and volunteers about the pressures they face during the winter virus season.
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