Becoming a member of the royal family was something the Princess of Wales never expected – but then she met and fell in love with Prince William, she said at an event on Tuesday.
The princess attended a Dame Kelly Holmes Trust event in Bath and took on the double Olympic champion at a game of beanbag noughts and crosses, coming second best.
She met a group of schoolgirls from St Katherine’s School in Bristol supported by the charity and opened up the floor to questions about herself.
Asked if she had wanted to be “a royal” by a pupil, the princess replied it was something she had not expected, but that she fell in love with Prince William.
Commenting afterwards about the pupils’ chat with the princess, Dame Kelly said she posed a question about Kate’s three children, asking if she saw different traits in them, and that Kate replied: “Oh yes, definitely.”
The double Olympic champion said when the schoolgirls quizzed Kate about being royal, the princess said it was something she had to learn.
Dame Kelly noted that public speaking was not a “natural thing” for many people and, commenting on Kate, added: “She said she’s still working that out”.
Kate, Princess of Wales’s red carpet style – in pictures
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The Princess of Wales wears an altered Alexander McQueen dress to attend the 2023 Bafta Awards in London on February 19. AFP -
The Duchess wore a red Jenny Packham dress along with the diamond and pearl Lotus Flower Tiara for a Diplomatic Corps reception at Buckingham Palace on December 6, 2022. Getty Images -
Kate re-wore this white and gold Alexander McQueen gown for the 2020 Baftas on February 2, 2020 in London. Getty Images -
Kate wore a black and white off-the-shoulder column gown by Roland Mouret for the Top Gun: Maverick premiere on May 19, 2022 in London. Getty Images -
Kate wore a silk duchesse satin dress by British designer Phillipa Lepley to attend a reception hosted by the Governor General at Baha Mar Resort on March 25, 2022 in Nassau, Bahamas. Getty Images -
Kate's green tulle gown, worn for a dinner hosted by Patrick Allen, Governor General of Jamaica, at King's House on March 23, 2022 in Kingston, Jamaica, was by Jenny Packham. Getty Images -
Kate's magenta dress by the label The Vampire's Wife, worn for a special reception hosted by the Governor General of Belize in celebration of Queen Elizabeth II’s platinum jubilee on March 21, 2022 in Cahal Pech, Belize. Getty Images -
The Princess of Wales wore an Alexander McQueen dress to the 2019 Baftas, repeating it for the 2023 event. Getty Images -
The green Jenny Packham column dress Kate wore to the 2021 Royal Variety Performance at the Royal Albert Hall in London was a re-wear from her 2019 tour of Pakistan. Getty Images -
Kate wore a decade-old Alexander McQueen dress for the Earthshot Prize 2021 at Alexandra Palace on October 17, 2021 in London. Getty Images -
Kate wore the Bond-themed 'Goldfinger dress' by Jenny Packham to attend the No Time To Die world premiere on September 28, 2021 in London. Getty Images -
Kate wore a green Jenny Packham gown to attend the Baftas on February 18, 2018, in London. Getty Images
Dame Kelly founded her national youth development organisation in the belief that every young person needs a champion.
It pairs world-class athletes with youngsters who lack confidence or have other issues, so the sportsmen or women can pass on their winning mindsets and help the children develop the skills and confidence they need to succeed in life.
Eight pupils from St Katherine’s School in Bristol were taking part in the On Track To Achieve programme, delivered by their athlete mentor, Paralympic gold medallist Liz Johnson.
When she first arrived, Kate, who is known for her competitive streak, took part in an outdoor game, joining some of the eight pupils aged 11-14, while Dame Kelly joined the remaining pupils in an opposing team.
In bright sunshine, each team member ran forward and threw a beanbag on to a grid on the ground.
Kate’s team did their best but Dame Kelly’s team won twice. After their first victory, the track and field star held her arms aloft, admitting she was “slightly competitive”. The princess joked: “You would never have guessed”.
