Kate Middleton beat Prince William in a friendly curling competition, and she did it in a skirt!
On Jan. 20, the Prince and Princess of Wales faced off in curling at the National Curling Academy in Stirling, Scotland.
The curling academy was the royal couple’s first engagement during their visit to Scotland, a trip they made to highlight the country’s heritage traditions that continue to connect communities today.
As seen in videos shared to X by Emily Ferguson of the Daily Express, Prince William, 43, and Princess Kate, 44, individually hit the ice to give curling a whirl.
Both William and Kate tried their hand at throwing rocks, or sliding curling stones, during a practice round. The Prince of Wales had a smoother trial than his wife and commented during his competition round that his teammates were “hardcore sweeping.”
However, when her turn came, Princess Kate aced her attempt, and her teammate sweepers cinched the win!
The Princess of Wales made it happen in a turtleneck and skirt, and a close look showed that she changed her footwear from earlier in the day.
A close look showed that Princess Kate sported flat black boots during curling, switching out her shoes from the heeled black boots she began the day in.
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Her husband also switched out his shoes for the curling excursion.
The Prince of Wales wore brown oxfords when he and his wife first stepped out on Jan. 20, checking out The Kelpies horse-head sculptures in Falkirk, but he changed into black sneakers when they appeared at the National Curling Academy.
Curling traces its roots back to 16th-century Scotland, and the royal couple heard about how the teams are training for the upcoming Olympic Games.
Prince William and Princess Kate are known to go head-to-head when there’s sports involved at their joint royal engagements, and Kate’s curling win was reminiscent of when she beat William in a spinning competition — also while wearing a skirt! — in South Wales in February 2023.
The Prince and Princess of Wales are both passionate about sports and fitness, instilling that interest in their children, Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7.
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