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”.
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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”.
