Kate’s night at the rugby! Beaming Duchess looks elegant as she re-wears £1,945 white Alexander McQueen suit and dons necklace first worn at Charlotte’s christening as she makes solo trip to watch England play against Argentina at the World Cup in France
The Princess of Wales beamed and looked elegant in a white ensemble this evening as she watched England play against Argentina in the Rugby World Cup in France.
Kate stood in the stands and appeared in good spirits as she chatted with Bill Beaumont, the chairman of World Rugby, before the match at the Stade de Marseille.
The royal mother-of-three opted for her trusty £1,945 white Alexander McQueen blazer and matching trousers which has become a staple in her public appearances.
She complemented her suit with a dazzling jewellery set she first wore for Princess Charlotte’s christening in 2015 – including her pair of £3,750 Mappin & Webb ‘Empress’ Diamond Carriage Earrings and matching £2,000 Empress Mini White Gold & Diamond Pendant Necklace.
The Prince and Princess of Wales are in France this weekend to watch two of Britain’s teams in their first group-stage matches.
Kate, who is patron of the Rugby Football Union, is cheering the team on today while William, patron of the Welsh Rugby Union, will be there to see Wales compete against Fiji in Bordeaux on Sunday.
It comes weeks after the Prince, who is president of the Football Association and therefore responsible for promoting the game nationally and internationally, chose not to attend the World Cup final which saw England play Spain in Australia.
The cost of the trip and carbon footprint were cited as reasons for him not to go.
Palace sources said it might be considered tactless for William to return for the first time in almost a decade to publicly cheer England on in the finals they put Australia out of the tournament to get there.
A source told the Mail: ‘It was a finely balanced decision. The Prince of Wales hasn’t visited since 2014, so he would wish his next trip to Australia to be a substantial visit.
‘He met them [the Lionesses] in St George’s Park before they flew out and he has been supporting them throughout the tournament by sending private good luck messages to the manager and team.’
But critics rounded on the Prince, as the Government frantically scrambled Foreign Secretary James Cleverly to Sydney to support Sarina Wiegman’s side.
Mandu Reid, leader of the Women’s Equality Party, told MailOnline: ‘It’s utterly ridiculous that England wasn’t and still isn’t prepared to celebrate the women’s World Cup final.
‘The President of the Football Association, Prince William, isn’t bothering to attend, licensing laws haven’t been relaxed, there won’t be a screen at Trafalgar Square, and there’s been no word of any kind of large celebration should they win.
‘This last-minute scramble to show support for the Lionesses by our leaders isn’t just embarrassing, it reveals how little they think of women’s sport.
‘You can guarantee that there’s no way the men’s football team would be treated with such disregard and disrespect.’
Earlier today, the Princess of Wales was today revealed as being a fan of cold-water swimming at night – and plays ‘beer pong’ with Mike Tindall.
The royal sporting revelations came to light today with the release of a special Rugby World Cup edition of the former England international’s podcast: The Good, the Bad and the Rugby.
In the 50-minute episode, the Prince and Princess of Wales and Anne, the Princess Royal – who are patrons of Welsh, English and Scottish rugby, respectively – talk to Tindall, husband of Anne’s daughter Zara, and co-hosts James Haskell and Alex Payne in the green drawing room at Windsor Castle.
The recording, which was filmed on Wednesday, revealed some of the sporting secrets of the Royal Family.
Last month, the Prince of Wales receieved criticism after it emerged neither he nor the Prime Minister attended any of the England men’s World Cup games in Qatar last winter.
FA chief executive Mark Bullingham said that bosses had always known William would not be attending, but that he had been a ‘brilliant supporter of the team throughout’.
Before the final, in a video posted on the Prince and Princess of Wales’s social media account, Prince William wished the Lionesses luck alongside his daughter Princess Charlotte, who held a football.
William said: ‘Lionesses, I want to send you a huge good luck for tomorrow.
‘We’re sorry we can’t be there in person but we’re so proud of everything you have achieved and the millions you’ve inspired here and around the world. So go out there tomorrow and really enjoy yourselves.’
A beaming Charlotte, dressed in shorts and a T-shirt, added: ‘Good luck Lionesses!’
The decision for the couple to attend the matches in France comes after they enjoyed a summer break in Balmoral with the Royal Family.
They joined other family members at church as the Royal Family had their first summer break at the estate since the Queen’s death there a year ago.
Sitting beside Prince William on their way to church, Prince Andrew appeared to be well and truly back in the royal fold. The disgraced duke, 63, was driven to church by the future king, while Kate sat in the back seat.
Experts said Prince Andrew’s appearance in a car with William and Kate as the family travelled to church in Balmoral was a ‘public statement of togetherness’, but there was ‘no possibility’ of him returning to royal duties.
Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told MailOnline the photographs of Prince Andrew travelling to church with the Waleses were ‘clearly intended to send a message of family unity’.
But he insisted it was not a sign Andrew could return to public duties in any form.
‘This is a sad time for the Royal Family on their customary break at Balmoral. They and the nation will shortly be commemorating a year since the death of the Queen,’ Mr Fitzwilliams said.
‘We know how close Andrew was to the late Queen, his appearance at the Duke of Edinburgh’s Memorial Service in March 2022, where he supported her physically whilst she was giving him emotional and financial support caused much controversy.
‘It has been reported that his allowance has been cut. It was rumoured that his tenure at Royal Lodge in Windsor, which is his home, was in danger.
‘He is also reportedly attempting to regain the police protection he lost when he stepped down from royal duties.’
But Mr Fitzwilliams added: ‘It is important to stress that there is no possibility, as King Charles and Prince William have always realised, of him returning to public duties in any form.
‘A glance at his non-existent popularity ratings in the polls make the public mood very clear on this issue.
‘However, what is being emphasised is harmony on a personal level, and clearly he and his immediate family, who are also at Balmoral, will appreciate this a great deal, especially as the photographs we see today are such a very public statement of togetherness.’
