The Prince and Princess of Wales took each other on in a game of table tennis this afternoon as they met with Windrush elders in Cardiff.
Dressed in a £549 navy pinstripe jacket from Holland Cooper and matching wide-leg navy trousers, Kate, 41, teamed up with a young woman at the Grange Pavilion as the pair took on the Prince of Wales (who had also found a dedicated teammate).
The famously competitive couple beamed as they took each other on in a doubles match during their engagement, which saw them meet with migrants from the Windrush Generation who settled in Wales, on the 75th anniversary of the arrival of HMT Empire Windrush to the UK.
Alongside her chic, tailored suit, which is the same outfit she wore to welcome Apple CEO Tim Cook to Windsor Castle last week, the Princess opted for a white body underneath the outfit. She wore her brunette locks in loose curls hanging down her shoulders.
The couple have a reputation for being competitive with one another, which they recently opened up about on Mike Tindall’s podcast, where they compared themselves to Monica from hit sitcom Friends – and said their table tennis games can ‘go on for hours’ and become a ‘mental game’ between the two of them.
Ping pong princess! Kate joined in with a game of table tennis with a member of the Ethnic Minority Youth Forum for Wales
It’s Kate vs William! The royal couple, who are famously competitive, each teamed up with a different partner to take each other on
The Princess of Wales teamed up for a game of doubles table tennis during her day of engagements
The Princess of Wales looked elegant in a pinstripe suit as she stepped out in Cardiff today to mark the 75th anniversary of the Windrush Generation’s arrival in the UK
The royal couple were greeted with a huge crowd of schoolchildren from schools which have included Windrush lessons in the curriculum to teach pupils about how the Windrush generation shaped society in the UK
Princess of Wales meets with members from the Windrush Cymru Elders during a visit to the Grange Pavilion as they celebrates the beginning of Black History Month
Their royal highnesses shook hands with the young royal fans, while also giving some pupils a little fist-bump or a high five
The royal couple were greeted with a huge crowd of schoolchildren from schools which have included Windrush lessons in the curriculum to teach pupils about how the Windrush generation shaped society in the UK.
Upon arrival at the Grange Pavilion in Grangetown suburb of the Welsh capital the royal couple met schoolchildren who were keen to meet a real-life Prince and Princess.
Their royal highnesses shook hands with the young royal fans, while also giving some pupils a little fist-bump or a high five.
As they said hello to the young fans, who were waving flags from Wales and other nations around the world, Prince William seemed mesmerised by a young pupil’s headband which featured two pink pom poms.
Among Kate and William’s engagements today are a visit to the Grange Pavilion in Grangetown, where they are meeting members from groups including the Windrush Cymru Elders, Black History Cymru 365 and the Ethnic Minority Youth Forum for Wales.
The Grange Pavilion is a partnership project between Grange Pavilion Project, Grangetown Community Action, Cardiff University and Cardiff Council which saw them redevelop a previously vacant bowls pavilion into a community facility.
The space offers a community café, employment and training opportunities and has become a key meeting place for the Ethnic Minority Youth Forum, Windrush Cymru Elders and Black History Cymru 365 for Wales.
The Windrush Cymru Elders group was established in 2017 as part of Race Council Cymru and aims to promote the understanding of ethnic minority elders’ concerns and needs whilst also celebrating the contributions of the Windrush Generation and people of African descent in Wales.
The Princess of Wales sported the navy pinstripe double-breasted jacket with gold buttons as she arrived in Grangetown
A royal fist-bump: The Princess of Wales smiled as she ditched the traditional shaking of hands and greeted a young royal fan in a different way
Prince William also greeted some of the schoolchildren who had queued up to meet him with a fist-bump
Schoolchildren lined up to fist-bump the heir to the throne as he arrived at the Grange Pavilion in Cardiff
During the couple’s visit, they heard about how the community had been impacted by the arrival of the Windrush Generation more than seven decades ago
Princess Kate chatted to elders from the Windrush community to hear their stories
The Prince and Princess heard about the lived experiences of the elders and the impact the generation has had in Wales since their arrival 75 years ago.
As well as the Elders, Their Royal Highnesses are spending time with the Ethnic Minority Youth Forum which is a youth advisory panel for Race Council Cymru and consists of young people aged 11-25 who seek to be a voice of change for young people from minority ethnic groups in Wales.
Finally, The Prince and Princess will also engage with local young people from the Somali community which forms a large portion of Grangetown.
Their Royal Highnesses will spend time with members of Wales Somaliland Youth Links and Cardiff Bay Warriors FC and hear about the community projects they have been involved in – from football to youth unemployment and building friendships between the young people in Cardiff and Somaliland.
The Prince of Wales appeared to crack a joke during a photo call between the royals and members of the Windrush Cymru Elders community group
Kate laughted as she looked at her husband, who appeared to have left the crowd in stitches
The Prince of Wales gave a warm hug to one of the members of the Windrush community group
As the Prince and Princess of Wales met with members of the group, they listened to their fascinating stories and learnt about how the arrival of the Windrush generation shaped the future of the UK
The Princess of Wales shook hands with a, elder as she listened to the stories of some of the Windrush community members
Princess Kate chatted to a member of the Windrush Cymru Elders community group inside Grange Pavilion
The Prince and Princess of Wales met with both elders from the Windrush community and youth council members for young people of colour in Wales
As the royal couple met with different communities inside the Grange Pavilion, they learnt about the ways in which the Windrush generation has impacted communities around the UK
Princess Kate couldn’t contain her laughter as she chatted to the young royal fans outside the Grange Pavilion
A young patriotic Welsh pupil held up a flag containg the Welsh dragon as the Prince and Princess of Wales stood in front of them
Princess Kate shot her husband an affectionate look as they chatted to poeple outside of the Grange Pavilion
Princess Kate looked animated as she chatted to people during a walkabout as she arrived in Grangetown
Appearing recently on the Good, the Bad and the Ugly podcast, William, alongside an animated Kate and Princess Anne, joined former England rugby ace Mike Tindall, 44, who is married to Zara, the Princess Royal’s daughter, on his show.
During the discussion at Windsor Castle, the subject of competitiveness was raised, with Kate and William being asked about competition between them and one of the presenters revealing that Mike had compared them to Monica from sitcom Friends, who is known for her insatiable desire to always be the best at everything.
He said: ‘I’m not going to lie…but Mike has made out both of you are super, super competitive, a bit like Monica from Friends, and if you guys play table tennis it will go on for hours and hours, and be like, double or quits.’
To which Kate replied: ‘I’m really not that competitive, I don’t know where this has come from.’
She then joked that she and William have never managed to finish a game of tennis, giggling as she explained that ‘it becomes a mental challenge between the two of us’.
Mike then asked if the couple’s three children Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, eight, and Prince Louis, five, are showing signs of competitiveness.
The Princess of Wales pushed her hair back behind her ears as she leaned down to chat to some of the pupils
Kate looked lovingly at her husband as they arrived at the Grange Pavilion
The Princess of Wales opted for a £549 Holland Cooper blazer, which she wore last week at Windsor Castle during a meeting about mental health
The Princess of Wales beamed and giggled as she chatted to people outside the Grangetown Pavilion
Kate, 41, appeared to opt for a Holland Cooper bodysuit underneath her pinstripe blazer and wide-leg trousers
William appeared to point at one of the pupils as they had a chat outside the Grange Pavilion
William crouched down and had a chat with some of the children at the Pavilion in Cardiff
The Princess of Wales stopped and had a chat with some of the schoolchildren as they stood to greet her
One of the young royal fans left the Princess of Wales in fits of laughter as they chatted to her on her arrival
The mother-of-three opted to wear her thick brunette tresses in loose curls hanging down past her shoulders
During their visit today, Princess Kate and Prince William will meet with Windrush elders and members of a youth advisory council for people of colour in Wales
Kate opted to wear her brunette tresses in loose curls hanging down her shoulders as she arrived and chatted to children
The Prince of Wales eventually reached out to shake hands after a little dabble in fist-bumping
Prince William seemed very taken by a young school pupil’s pom pom headband and couldn’t resist giving it a poke
Princess Kate offered another fist bump to a young pupil who had lined up at the front row to meet the royals
The Prince and Princess of Wales’s joint engagement to Grangetown in Cardiff marks the 75th anniversary of HMP Empire Windrush’s arrival in the UK
One royal fan received a high five from the Princess of Wales as she found another novel way of greeting the children
Prince William shook hands with a young pupil who looked sweet in his red school jumper and white polo shirt
Kate had a chat with some of the schoolchildren who had lined up to meet her outside the Grange Pavilion
Princess Kate ditched the fist-bumps after a while and shook hands with some of the young royal fans
Schoolchildren waving Welsh flags, as well as flags from other nations around the world including India, were ready and waiting to greet the royals
Princess Kate crouched down to have a chat with the young schoolchildren who had gathered to meet her at the Grange Pavilion
Kate, a mother-of-three, looked deep in conversation with the schoolchildren, who were wrapped up in their coats and uniforms
The Princess of Wales chatted to some of the schoolgirls who looked a little starstruck to meet a princess
The Prince and Princes of Wales were greeted by tiny royal fans upon their arrival in Grangetown, Cardiff
For today’s engagement the Princess of Wales opted for loose curls hanging down her shoulders
While Kate was chic in a trouser suit, the Prince of Wales was smart in a dark jacket, navy trousers and brown suede boots
The Princess of Wales opted for a bronze smoky eye, a touch of blusher and a nude lip, plus defined eyebrows
The Princess of Wales looked elegant in the tailored, chic outfit as she arrived and stepped out of the car
Upon arrival, both Prince William and Princess Kate were greeted outside the Grange Pavilion, where they are due to meet Windrush elders
As she stepped out of the car, the Princess of Wales smiled and waved at someone to greet them
Kate sported a silver watch and layered the suit with a white body
Princess Kate re-wore her £549 Holland Cooper blazer plus matching wide-leg trousers in navy pinstripe
Kate, 41, paired the wide-leg suit with navy blue pumps and opted for her brunette tresses in loose curls
Princess Kate sported a trendy watch on her wrist and kept her make up minimal and natural to mark the occasion
Princess Anne interjected to say: ‘Just a little bit, I would suggest.’
Kate revealed: ‘What’s interesting is that they all obviously [have] very different temperaments.
‘And as they’re growing and trying out different sports – they’re obviously still really young – it’s going be interesting to see how that grows and develops.’
Earlier in the podcast, William had spoken about how important sports are for children, especially when it comes to learning about winning and losing.
Talking about the skills you gain from ‘those early years of playing team sport’, he said: ‘Learning to lose, which I think we’ve got to concentrate more on nowadays.
‘I think people don’t know how to lose well. Talking about our children particularly, I want to make sure they understand that.
‘I think it’s really important from a young age to understand how to lose, and why we lose, and to grow from it and what you learn from that process.
‘But also to win well, and not boast. There’s so many life lessons that help us all through life, in friendship building, in relationship building, workplace, that you gain from those early years of playing team sport.’