The Prince and Princess of Wales brought Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis and Prince George to the Hydro arena in Glasgow on Saturday for the netball semi-final. In Scotland, William and Kate are known as the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay.
Their appearance fell on the penultimate day of the Commonwealth Games, with the closing ceremony due to take place on Sunday. Saturday’s schedule also featured athletics, boxing and judo.
Royals at the “friendly games”
The Duke of Edinburgh, vice patron of Commonwealth Sport, and his wife have also been among recent attendees at the event, which is affectionately called the “friendly games”. The opening ceremony at the Hydro arena saw the King and Queen emerge from a Tardis, a moment echoing Queen Elizabeth II’s skydiving scene with actor Daniel Craig at London 2012.
That ceremony was the first indoor opening in the event’s history, part of a major financial restructuring. The games, which began as the British Empire Games in 1930, faced an uncertain future after the Australian state of Victoria pulled out as host in 2023 over rising costs. Glasgow ultimately agreed to step in and host again, having previously done so in 2014, but with significant changes to the format.
Inspiring the next generation
William and Kate are also expected to meet athletes backed by SportsAid, a charity Kate has supported as patron since 2013, as well as young participants in the Team England Futures project. Earlier beneficiaries of SportsAid include Sir Chris Hoy, Ellie Simmonds, Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill and Tom Daley.
Team England Futures has given promising young athletes and aspiring staff the opportunity to attend the Glasgow games for behind-the-scenes experience, positioning them for potential future medals as Team England, Team GB or ParalympicsGB debutants.
