Prince William has revealed that Princess Charlotte is a keen runner, inspired by Olympic gold medallist Keely Hodgkinson. During an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle on Tuesday, the Prince of Wales told the 23-year-old athlete that his daughter watched her win gold in the women's 800m at the Paris Olympics last year.
Hodgkinson later disclosed that William also shared that Charlotte, who recently turned 10, is currently training for the 400m and hurdles. The Prince added that he wished he could have been present to see Hodgkinson take gold in person.
Charlotte's passion for running comes as no surprise, as her mother, the Princess of Wales, is equally enthusiastic about the sport. Mike Tindall, who is married to the King's niece Zara, previously told The Telegraph that Catherine 'loves her running', while Prince George takes after his father and 'loves his football'.
Body language expert Judi James described the bond between Catherine and Charlotte as a 'swan-style double act', noting how Charlotte has matured into a composed public figure who often mirrors her mother's poise. This was particularly evident at last year's Trooping the Colour, where Charlotte's supportive gestures helped deflect attention from her mother during her first public appearance after announcing her cancer diagnosis.
At the investiture, Hodgkinson was made an MBE for her Olympic gold, becoming the first British track and field star to win Olympic gold since Sir Mo Farah in 2016. She was pictured laughing with Prince William as she received her honour.
