Prince William and Princess Kate are proud sports enthusiasts and are passing that love to their three children.
“The team environment of sport played a big part in my life and my upbringing,” the Prince of Wales, 41, said during the Saturday, September 9, episode of Mike Tindall’s “The Good, The Bad & The Rugby” podcast. “I gelled and loved being in that quadrant of fear, noise, competitiveness with your mates and your team around you.”
William added: “I loved the highs and the lows, looking out for each other if someone got injured or if someone was feeling a bit left out, you’d go and make sure they’re included.”
That type of friendship made him eager to introduce sports to his and Kate’s three children: Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5.
“It’s that camaraderie, that relationship-building [and] learning to lose, which I think we’ve got to concentrate more on nowadays. I think people don’t know how to lose well,” William, who previously played rugby in school, added. “Talking about our children in particular, I want to make sure they understand that. It’s really important from a young age to understand how to lose and why we lose and then to grow from it through that process.”
The Duke of Cornwall further noted that the couple, who wed in 2011, also teach their kids “how to win well” without boasting or seeming arrogant during victory celebrations.
Kate, 41, also grew up playing sports and marveled on Saturday about watching George, Charlotte and Louis embrace athletics.
“What’s really interesting is that they all have very different temperaments,” the Princess of Wales explained. “As they are growing and trying out different sports, and it’s going to be to see how that grows and develops [over time].”
Will and Kate — who were interviewed by Mike, who is cousin Zara Tindall’s husband, and cohosts James Haskell and Alex Payne — were also joined by Princess Anne. The Princess Royal, 73, pointed out that the Wales kids do have “just a little bit” of a competitive streak.
According to Kate, the kids did not get that from her. “I’m really not that competitive. I don’t know where this has come from,” she asserted, referring to claims that Mike, 44, previously made on the podcast. “I do think [Will and I] haven’t been able to finish a game of tennis. It becomes a mental challenge between the two of us.”
Kate, however, did explain that “parents’ races” at George, Charlotte and Louis’ school do get heated. “We have [done it] and we were told, categorically, that there was no parents’ race but then they called [one at] the last minute!” she recalled. “Maybe the competitive side of both of us [came out], like, ‘We have to take part,’ so I did it [with] bare feet.”
William even came in second place and proclaimed on Saturday that his wife “did really” well” sans shoes.
William, Kate and Anne — who are the patrons of three rugby organizations in the U.K. — joined the podcast for a candid discussion at Windsor Castle about the sport. The conversation took place in honor of the Rugby World Cup, which started on Friday, September 8, in France.
