Princess Charlotte Is 'Very Competitive' Like Mom Kate Middleton: 'Very Much in Her Mold'

The Princess of Wales competed in some rugby drills, where the President of the Rugby Football Union revealed that the royal regularly plays the sport with her three children

Like royal mother, like royal daughter!

Kate Middleton showed off some serious rugby skills on Wednesday at the Maidenhead Rugby Club — the results of regular backyard rugby sessions with her three children: Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

"She regularly plays rugby in the back garden with the children — she plays all sports with them," says Nigel Gillingham, who is President of the governing body of the sport in England, the Rugby Football Union.

And 8-year-old daughter Princess Charlotte inherited more than athleticism from her mom.

"Apparently Charlotte is very much in her mold — very competitive as well," Gillingham adds.

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Princess Kate, who supports England as patron of the Rugby Football League and the Rugby Football Union, previously revealed that Prince George, 9, and Princess Charlotte are both playing rugby, noting that her eldest child is tall so "he has the physique."

And while Prince William has also described his daughter as a "budding star" in soccer, Princess Charlotte revealed her favorite sport is actually gymnastics while attending the Commonwealth Games with her parents last summer.

"She really, really loved seeing the swimming, but she's interested in the gymnastics, and while they're trying lots of different sports at home, I understand, when I asked her about sport she answered very easily and said, 'It's gymnastics that I like,' " said Tim Lawler, the chief executive of Sports Aid, according to Hello! magazine.

Kate added, "Charlotte spends most of her time upside-down, doing handstands and cartwheels," according to the Daily Mail.

Princess Kate's sports skills were on display on Wednesday morning when she took part in some drills with Maidenhead Rugby Club players, even joining them on the field for a game of netball rugby.

The Princess of Wales, 41, was on the same team as professionals like England men’s team member Courtney Lawe. At one point, as she tried to hoist a pass over an opponent, Princess Kate dropped the ball and hit her hand into her opponent, patting him on the back afterward.

"I like to say she ran into me," says Steven Bough, chairman of Maidenhead Rugby Club.

Although Kate's team lost, Bough praised her rugby skills: "She’s obviously been practicing. Her ball skills and passing skills are very good. She was there, blending in playing as one of the team. To be honest, I didn’t realize she was there half the time.”

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Bough also praised the royal’s approachability.

"It makes a massive difference that she comes and joins in. It’s not just the participating, it is the way she comes across. Immediately, when she came out of the car, it’s like saying hello to a friend,” he said. “The key thing is she is honestly interested and is not going through the motions, and she is passionate. She fits in like she’s just another person."

But clocking in some rugby time wasn’t the only reason Princess Kate was on-hand— she visited the club as part of her ongoing campaign highlighting the importance of the early years in a person's life. The outing combined her leadership of the Shaping Us initiative to talk about how best to nurture children with her support for the game of rugby.

Kate was there to hear from men — specifically, to talk about the impact that local sports clubs have on those who are helping to raise children.

Her visit came as her Early Years Foundation found that men are less likely than women to realize the importance of the first years of a child’s life.

In the first perceptions survey since she launched Shaping Us earlier this year, researchers found there is still much more effort needed to raise awareness. While last year only 17% of the U.K. population identified the period between pregnancy and the age of five as the most important period for shaping a child’s future, this year’s survey found that this figure has risen to 19%. Men are less knowledgeable than women about the lasting impact of the first five years of a child’s life. While 24% of women recognized the time as the most important period (up 4% from 2022), only 14% of men did so, the survey on behalf of Kate’s Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood found.

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And although the day was about speaking with men, Zoe Cox, a coach at the club, says Kate is a role model to girls.

"Kate being female and coming in and playing sport and being so involved with the Rugby Football Union that she is. It’s massive for young girls to see that," says Cox. "It's something that’s been missing until Kate got into that position. When I was in youth rugby that’s someone you needed to look up to. The girls that are coming through now are so lucky to have that."

Added Kate Swinn, a volunteer at the club, "[Kate is] real as well. She genuinely seems to listen and genuinely tried to hone in on the right things. I imagine she’s quite competitive."

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