Princess Kate Middleton hosts national champions at Windsor Castle
Princess Kate Middleton is beginning her 2026 duty schedule with an important public appearance connected to her work in sports. On January 15, 2026, she will welcome the England Women’s Rugby team to Windsor Castle to celebrate their Rugby World Cup win from September 2025. The moment will feature a guided tour of the historic royal castle, followed by a meeting with the players and coaching staff. The team captain, Zoe Aldcroft, is scheduled to present the trophy to the Princess of Wales as part of the celebration and participate in group pictures.
🇬🇧 HRH The Princess of Wales, as Patron of the Rugby Football Union, will host a Reception at Windsor Castle on Thursday, 15 January, for the England Women’s Rugby Team following their World Cup Win in 2025. pic.twitter.com/QkvGtwtCXt
— Imperial Material ♚ (@implmaterial) January 12, 2026
The Princess of Wales strengthens role as rugby patron
The Princess of Wales has been the patron of the Rugby Football Union since 2022, and her position places her in a friendly rivalry with her husband, Prince William. She assumed her role after Prince Harry stepped away from his duties alongside Meghan Markle. Meanwhile, Prince William is the patron of the Welsh Rugby Union, creating a clear comparison between their respective national sides. England currently holds the advantage following their championship victory and top worldwide ranking in 2025, while Wales did not progress past the pool stage and is ranked 12th internationally.
Their friendly rivalry had a funny twist back in September 2025, when the royal couple attended separate matches on the same day at the Rugby World Cup. Back then, the Princess of Wales was spotted cheering on England during their match against Australia. In contrast, the Prince of Wales was seen supporting Wales in their game against Fiji.
The Princess receives positive support from rugby experts
Princess Kate’s engagement reflects continued encouragement from experienced figures in rugby. For example, Mike Tindall, who played professionally from 1997 through 2014 and won the 2003 Rugby World Cup with England, and is married to Princess Anne’s daughter, Zara, has expressed support for her involvement. He co-hosts a podcast titled The Good, The Bad & The Rugby and has spoken publicly about the Princess of Wales attending training sessions at Twickenham Stadium in 2022.
“I text Ellis [Genge] and said, ‘Mate, please tell me anything she messed up on,’ so I could sort of… family WhatsApp group, get to her,” Mike quipped. “And he said, ‘No, she was actually pretty good, and she was really good at kicking,’ and I was like [sigh]. But she has this competitive nature,” Tindall revealed.
While the Windsor event marks her first individual duty of the year, she already completed a joint appearance with Prince William on January 8, 2026, at Charing Cross Hospital, where they met with health workers and volunteers.
