ROYAL FAMILY
Kate Middleton’s First Solo Royal Duty of 2026 Revealed — and It’s Related to a Rivalry with Prince William
After stepping out with her husband for her first outing of the new year, the Princess of Wales has a solo engagement on the calendar
Kate Middleton is kicking off her new year with bragging rights over Prince William.
The Princess of Wales’ first solo royal duty of 2026 has been revealed, and she will host the England Women’s Rugby team for a reception at Windsor Castle in celebration of their World Cup win in September 2025.
Princess Kate, who has served as the patron of the Rugby Football Union since 2022, will host the team, captained by Zoe Aldcroft, on Thursday, Jan. 15. Players and staff will be given a tour of the royal residence before meeting with the princess, where they will show her the Rugby World Cup trophy and pose for a group photo.
Kate’s role as patron of England rugby — which she took on when Prince Harry’s former patronages were redistributed after he and wife Meghan Markle stepped back from their roles as working royals — puts her in direct competition with Prince William, who is patron of the Welsh Rugby Union.
The couple even attended separate matches on the same day at last year’s Rugby World Cup, with Kate cheering on England versus Australia and William supporting Wales in their match against Fiji.
Princess Kate, 44, currently holds the upper hand in the lighthearted sports rivalry. While England was the 2025 World Cup champion and remains the top-ranked women’s rugby team in the world, Wales failed to advance from the pool stage last year and is currently ranked 12th globally.
Kate has also earned the endorsement of the royal family’s very own rugby expert. Mike Tindall, who is married to Princess Anne’s daughter Zara, played professional rugby from 1997 to 2014. His career included 11 years with England’s national team, with whom he won the 2003 Rugby World Cup.
These days, Mike hosts a podcast, The Good, The Bad & The Rugby, with fellow former player James Haskell and English sports presenter Alex Payne. So, when Kate attended a training session at Twickenham Stadium in 2022 to kick off her role as English rugby patron, they had to weigh in.
“She looks a more natural rugby player than both of you put together,” Alex teased Mike and James.
Mike admitted that he had to agree, despite the fact that he was hoping for some ammunition for the family group chat.
“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.”
Ultimately, Mike said he was delighted to add the rivalry to the royal family.
“The best thing is when it rolls to England and Wales, we get the battle of the Cambridges,” he said, citing William and Kate’s previous titles as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
Jason Kelce, Wife Reveal They’re Having Another Daughter
KYLIE KELCE SHUTS DOWN “BOY NAMES” CRITICS — CALLS QUESTION ‘RAGE BAIT’ AND SAYS, “I DIDN’T ASK WHAT YOU THOUGHT”
Supreme Court Block House Passage of Sweeping DHS Funding Bill, Declaring the $10 Billion ICE Expansion Unconstitutional After Democrats Crossed Party Lines to Deliver a 220-207 Victory Following Donald Trump’s involvement
Supreme Court Strikes Down Donald Trump Gold Card as Unconstitutional, as It Bypasses Congress, and Invalidates Nicki Minaj’s Fast-Tracked U.S. Citizenship; Says U.S. Citizenship Can’t Be Bought
U.S. Congress Formally Launches Impeachment Proceedings Against Donald Trump, Drafts Articles Alleging Embezzlement, Fraud, War Crimes, Epstein Connection, Unlawful Use of DHS and ICE AGENTS, Obstruction of Justice, Abuse of Power, and Massive Misuse of Taxpayer Funds by him and his Cabinet
Taylor Swift Warn Donald Trump to Reconsider Threatening National Guard Deployment and Invoking the Insurrection Act in Minnesota, Says it could lead to War, Saying There Are Far Better Ways to Address the Escalating ICE-Related Protests
UPDATE: The medical examiner has ruled Renée Good’s death a homicide, and reporting says she still had a pulse for minutes after the shooting while help was delayed. Now the FBI agent connected to investigating the ICE shooting has resigned. If that doesn’t scream “something is being covered up,” I don’t know what does. Release the full timeline, all footage, and do an independent investigation.
JUST IN: Senate Passes SB 5855, Formally Barring Law Enforcement Officers From Wearing Face Coverings While on Duty despite Donald Trump’s Objection
Philadelphia introduced legislation to limit ICE. Agents can’t be masked, must show ID, and can only operate on warrants signed by a judge. If they attack bystanders, they will be arrested. 💪 Do this NATION WIDE.
BREAKING THE INTERNET: Jason Kelce Just Joined TikTok — and It’s Absolute CHAOS (In the Best Way Possible)
10 MIN AGO: T.r.u.m.p FACES JAIL as Congress DROPS SEVEN Impeachment Articles the SAME DAY — Washington ERUPTS into PANIC What began as routine Capitol Hill business instantly detonated into a political earthquake when lawmakers unveiled seven impeachment articles at once, all aimed squarely at T.r.u.m.p. Cameras caught the shock as details poured out — ranging from abuse of power to obstruction claims — triggering gasps across the chamber and instant headlines nationwide. The timing stunned even veteran insiders. Multiple sources say the coordinated drop was deliberate, designed to corner T.r.u.m.p in a single news cycle and leave no room to spin. Within minutes, aides reportedly scrambled as phones lit up and emergency meetings were called behind closed doors. As the news broke, clips and documents exploded across social media, with commentators warning the legal stakes may now be existential. Supporters raged. Critics celebrated. Washington froze. 🔥 Watch the impeachment shockwave unfold before the narrative shifts again.
