At an event to launch a new charitable boat race, Prince William and Catherine today spoke of their excitement at meeting their new nephew, The Earl of Dumbarton. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were at the Cutty Sark tea-clipper in Greenwich, London today, to launch the inaugural King’s Cup Regatta.
Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images
The royal couple will themselves race head-to-head in the King’s Cup in August. William and Kate will head two teams in a race off the Isle of Wight, to raise awareness and funds for eight of their patronages, which will see another bout of couple’s rivalry that we have seen a few times in the past.
The King’s Cup is the trophy to be won; it was first presented by King George V at Cowes’ Royal Yacht Squadron in 1920.
The charities to be supported are: Child Bereavement UK, Centrepoint, the London Air Ambulance Charity 30th Anniversary Campaign, Tusk Trust, Action on Addiction, Place2Be, the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, and The Royal Foundation.
william and kate admire the king’s cup (kensington royal)
Eight boats, one representing each organisation will compete, with the Duke and Duchess taking the helm of one boat each.
The future King and Queen Consort hope the King’s Cup will become an annual event, that will see both funds and awareness raised, including the benefits of sport.
Even today, in a virtual boat race, William and Kate got competitive. The Duke of Cambridge urged his young crew member to tip his wife out of the boat.
He said to seven-year-old Ethan, a pupil at Drapers Mills primary school in Margate, Kent: “Ram them, ram them! Aim for them. Tip them out.”
“Are you sinking yet?” he asked his wife.
prince william tried to knock his wife out of the boat in a virtual race in greenwich today (kensington royal)
kate, the duchess of cambridge takes part in a vritual boat race as she and william launch the king’s cup regatta (kensington royal)
The royal couple also met with representatives of their charities, with one charity head suggesting the couple will be sneaking in practice between now and August, knowing their competitive streaks.
Members of the public will be able to watch the race from the SailGP Race Village along the Cowes foreshore.
Footage from the race will play on screens across the town and there will be a number of family-friendly activities and exhibits to promote sailing around the event, including initiatives and programmes for children and young people.
Arriving in Greenwich, of course they were asked about the new royal baby. Prince William said he hadn’t yet met the newest Royal: “We’re looking forward to seeing them in the next few days when things have quietened down”.
“I’m very pleased and glad to welcome my brother to the ‘sleep deprivation society’ that is parenting,” the Duke joked of Prince Harry.
“We’re absolutely thrilled – welcome to the Sleep Deprivation Society!” — The Duke of Cambridge on his and The Duchess’s delight at the birth of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s son pic.twitter.com/3sTvDL14Cr
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) May 7, 2019
He also said there was ‘plenty of advice’ to give his brother. “I wish him all the best and I hope the next few days they can settle down and enjoy having a newborn in their family and the joys that come with that.”
Baby Sussex was born yesterday at 5.26am, weighing 7lb 3oz, in what is thought to be a hospital birth nearby. Prince Harry gave a short interview yesterday, clearly gleeful at his son’s birth. The Sussex family will briefly make a media appearance tomorrow.
The Duchess of Cambridge also gave a quick comment on the baby. “It’s such a special time, obviously with Louis and Charlotte just having had their birthdays, it’s such a great time of year to have a baby. Spring is in the air.”
“As William said, we’re looking forward to meeting him and finding out what his name’s going to be so so it’s really exciting for both of them…These next few weeks are always a bit daunting the first time round so we wish them all the best.”
