Princess Kate's "Naughty" Gesture Reveals Playful Relationship With Prince William
The couple engaged in plenty of "banter" during a sporty trip to Wales.
The Prince and Princess of Wales enjoyed a date night at the Wales vs. England Six Nations rugby match on Saturday, March 15, and even though the couple took opposite sides during the game, they still showed off their sweet relationship.
William has served as patron of the Welsh Rugby Union since 2016, so naturally, he sported a red scarf in support of Wales. But Princess Kate took over Prince Harry's patronage of the Rugby Football League in 2022, making her an England fan. Their rivalry is so intense that Jo Elvin, host of the Daily Mail's "Palace Confidential" podcast, joked that the couple "may need a referee in house" during a recent episode.
While visiting Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, however, the duo enjoyed plenty of "mischievous, playful fun," as body language expert Judi James told the Mirror.
"At the start of the game, we saw Kate sitting looking serious and even slightly tense, but William was beaming smugly as though assuming his side would win, show-boating a little as he shook hands and chatted with people around him and waved, beaming, to other fans," James said.
The prince and princess cheered on their respective teams from the stands on March 15.
Ahead of the match, the royals visited with injured players who are supported by the Welsh Rugby Charitable Trust.
Although Prince William seemed confident in the Welsh team, the Princess of Wales—who sat between Prince William and Rob Udwin, president of the Rugby Football Union—looked more "tense" as she spoke with Udwin, per the body language expert.
However, once England began winning, James shared that "Kate's more playful side emerged." According to the outlet, the Princess of Wales flashed "a naughty dimpled smile, while William stuck to his puckered-mouth grins to suggest he was still enjoying the banter." At the end of the day, England emerged victorious with a stunning 68 to 14 win—and Princess Kate was clearly thrilled with the outcome.
On Monday, March 17, the princess made another appearance, attending the annual Irish Guards St. Patrick's Day parade in London. Wearing a repeat green Alexander McQueen coat and coordinating hat, Princess Kate—who missed the event last year due to her cancer diagnosis—handed out shamrocks and engaged in some friendly chat with members of the regiment and their families.
While enjoying a pint of Guinness, Kate revealed that Prince William might not keep his fan-favorite beard forever. "These trends come and go," she told some section commanders in the mess hall, adding, "I was saying to my husband, I'm not sure how long he’s going to keep his for." Perhaps she can make it interesting with a friendly bet over their next sporting rivalry.
