Janine Henni is a Royals Staff Writer for PEOPLE Digital, covering modern monarchies and the world's most famous families. Like Queen Elizabeth, she loves horses and a great tiara moment.
Kate Middleton‘s latest engagement is all about celebrating a sports team close to her heart.
On Thursday afternoon, the Princess of Wales, 41, welcomed the England Wheelchair Rugby League team for a reception at Hampton Court Palace. The festive event was held in honor of the team's win at the Rugby League World Cup Final in November 2022, where they defeated France 28-24 to become world champions. The victory was especially sweet for Team England, as their first World Cup win since the first Wheelchair tournament was held in 2008.
Kate was greeted by Simon Johnson, chair of the Rugby Football League, and took time to connect with team members and coaches, sharing her congratulations for the win and hearing about their future goals. The Wheelchair Final drew a record crowd of 4,500 to Manchester Central, plus a seven-figure broadcast audience.
The reception coincidentally fell near a related anniversary, as Kate became the new royal patron of the Rugby Football Union and Rugby Football League in February 2022. The Princess of Wales received the patronages from Queen Elizabeth after the role was previously held by her brother-in-law Prince Harry.
The rugby patronages were Harry's first to be redistributed to another member of the royal family since the Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped back from their roles as senior working royals in 2020.
Priciness Kate embraced the position and joined a training session for some of the rugby players soon after the news was announced. Taking the field at Twickenham Stadium, Kate participated in a line-out play, where a player is hoisted in the air by their teammates to receive a ball after it goes out of the field of play.
Kate couldn't help but laugh as she was lifted, showing off her athletic abilities by expertly catching the ball and passing it to a player down below — and she was praised with cheers and applause following the successful play.
At the time, Kensington Palace released a new social media clip to celebrate Kate's first day on the job. The royal said the two "fantastic" organizations "are committed to harnessing the power that sport can have in bringing communities together and helping individuals flourish. I look forward to working with them across all levels of the games, and to cheering England on in what promises to be an exciting year for both sports!" And she signed the message with a simple "C" for Catherine.
The royal is known for her athleticism, from playing tennis (as patron of the All England Lawn Tennis Club, she’s a fixture at Wimbledon) to taking on husband Prince William in yacht racing. She showed off her rugby skills during a 2017 trip to Paris, where she tossed a ball around with young players — in a dress and heels, no less!
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.