Prince William Seemed "Stressed" During Six Nations Rugby Match

Gerald Davies, President of the Welsh Rugby Union, HRH Prince William, Prince of Wales, and HRH Princess Kate, Princess of Wales, line up during the National Anthems prior to the Six Nations Rugby match between Wales and England at Principality Stadium on February 25, 2023 in Cardiff, Wales.

(Image credit: Photo by Shaun Botterill / Getty)

published 28 February 2023

Prince William and Princess Kate attended the Six Nations rugby match between England and Wales this past weekend.

But this wasn't just any old game: William is a Wales supporter in rugby (he is Prince of Wales and patron of the Welsh Rugby Union), while Kate is an England supporter (she is patron of the Rugby Football League and the Rugby Football Union).

Therefore, this was a very tense time of rivalry for the royal couple, who were cheering on opposing teams—and it showed, according to a body language expert.

"In terms of body language, there were some really fantastic moments between Kate and William as they attended the Six Nations rugby match," Darren Stanton tells Marie Claire on behalf of Betfair Bingo (opens in new tab).

"What was interesting from the photographs was that Kate was smiling as she watched the game, while William had a very different expression on his face. It could have been that his team wasn’t winning; however, Kate maintained massive levels of confidence and self-assurance."

For Stanton, this event brought unbridled joy to the Princess of Wales, while William was a lot more ambivalent about it all.

"She was clearly thrilled to be at the event," the expert says.

"At one point during the game, William had his tongue sticking out, as Kate looked quite resolute and steely-eyed. This is an indicator that they may well have been supporting different teams. [NB: They were.]

"William’s expression is one of anticipation and stress at potentially not seeing his team win, whereas Kate’s is one of triumph and success. There were some great facial expressions and body language being exuded from the pair on the day."

In the end, Kate emerged victorious as England beat Wales 20 to 10.

Iris Goldsztajn is a London-based journalist, editor and author. She is the morning editor at Marie Claire, and her work has appeared in the likes of InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Bustle and Shape. Iris writes about everything from celebrity news and relationship advice to the pitfalls of diet culture and the joys of exercise. She has many opinions on Harry Styles, and can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.