The Princess of Wales is likely to miss a family milestone for her sister Pippa today as she heads to Cardiff to cheer on England in the Six Nations final.
Kate Middleton, 43, and Prince William, 42, will cheer on opposing sides at Saturday’s Wales v England Six Nations match at the Principality Stadium this afternoon.
William is patron of the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU), while Kate holds a similar position with the Rugby Football Union (RFU).
The famously competitive couple have previously joked about supporting different teams during the tournament with William supporting Wales and Kate rooting for England.
However, it is expected that Kate will miss the fourth birthday of her niece Grace Matthews on Saturday, as she instead heads to Wales for the rugby clash.
Grace is the daughter of her sister Pippa Middleton, 38, and former racing driver James Matthews, 46. The couple have three children together: Arthur, six, Grace, four, and Rose, one.
It is expected that the family will celebrate Grace’s birthday together in Berkshire.
Meanwhile, Kate and William will be in Cardiff, where they are attending the final round of the Six Nations between England and Wales.
The royals support different sides due to their patronages, and in 2023 William joked it would be a ‘tense journey home’ with his wife after the clash.
Kate is gradually returning to public duties after revealing she is in remission from cancer. She also has an engagement with the Irish Guards on St Patrick’s Day in London on Monday.
Before the match, the couple will meet injured players who have been supported by the Welsh Rugby Charitable Trust inside the Sir Tasker Watkins Suite – 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 Princess of Wales, who grew up watching rugby with her family, is known as one of the sportiest members of the Royal Family and has gamely taken on her husband in everything from dragon boating to wind buggy racing at royal engagements.
She has played tennis and hockey from a young age and is already royal patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club and is a frequent visitor to the Wimbledon Championships.
Less well known is her love of rugby. Her sister, Pippa, wrote in Vanity Fair magazine in 2014: ‘Rugby was a big thing for our family, we’d plan our weekends around the big matches.’
