Queen of the pitch! Prince William gushed over daughter Princess Charlotte‘s soccer skills — at her request.
The Duke of Cambridge, 39, discussed the 7-year-old royal’s abilities during a Wednesday, June 15, visit with England’s national women’s team. “Charlotte wanted me to tell you that she is really good at goal,” the former military pilot told the athletes. “She said, ‘Please tell them that.’ She’s a budding star for the future.”
The University of St Andrews alum also took home custom jerseys for Charlotte and his sons Prince George, 8, and Prince Louis, 4. Each of the shirts included the little ones’ names and their respective ages.
Charlotte was one of the stars of her great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth II‘s Platinum Jubilee, which happened earlier this month. When the festivities kicked off with Trooping the Colour on June 2, the soccer enthusiast was photographed stopping her younger brother from waving during the carriage ride to Buckingham Palace.
A few days later, Charlotte took it upon herself to correct her eldest brother when she noticed him resting his hand on the balcony during the final day of celebrations on June 5. After his sister’s gentle prodding, George moved his hand to his side and straightened up.
Last month, William and Duchess Kate worked to make sure Charlotte had an “extra special” birthday after two years of low-key festivities due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“Kate and William have one important rule whenever it’s George, Charlotte and Louis’ birthday – they clear their schedules and avoid any work calls, unless there’s an emergency, to enable them to give their children their undivided attention,” an insider exclusively told Us Weekly at the time.
The Duchess of Cambridge, 40, and her husband also gave their only daughter a gift she’d wanted for a long time: a horse.
“The gift Charlotte wanted more than anything was a pony,” the source added. “She has been taking horse riding lessons for over a year and is obsessed. William and Kate know that her passion for riding isn’t a [phase] and finally agreed to buy her one.”
The couple hosted two parties for their little girl: one with family at Anmer Hall and one with her school pals at Kensington Palace.
“It was the first birthday party Charlotte has had with all her friends,” the insider told Us. “She’s such a popular little girl and loved every minute of being center of attention. It’s obvious from being around Charlotte that she possesses all the personality traits to excel in her future role. … Being in the public eye comes naturally to her – she rarely feels intimidated or complains about it. It’s something she really enjoys.”
