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The Duchess of Cambridge is reportedly taking over one of Prince Harry ’s former roles. Sources told the Daily Mail that Kate is due to be unveiled as patron of the Rugby Football Union “imminently.”
Last year, The Sunday Times reported that the Duchess was set to become patron of the Rugby Football Union (RFU) and the Rugby Football League (RFL), both of which were patronages previously held by her royal brother-in-law.
Harry became patron of the Rugby Football Union in 2017, succeeding his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth . The patronage was reverted to the Queen in 2021 after the Duke and Meghan Markle confirmed that they would not be returning as working members of the royal family.
“Following conversations with The Duke, The Queen has written confirming that in stepping away from the work of The Royal Family it is not possible to continue with the responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement at the time. “The honorary military appointments and Royal patronages held by The Duke and Duchess will therefore be returned to Her Majesty, before being redistributed among working members of The Royal Family.”
After the news was announced, RFU Chief Executive Bill Sweeney said: “We would like to thank Prince Harry for his time and commitment to the Rugby Football Union, both in his position as Patron and Vice Patron. The RFU has greatly valued his contribution to promoting and supporting the game. We look forward to welcoming the Duke and Duchess of Sussex back to Twickenham at some point in the future.”
Over the years, Kate has attended rugby matches with Prince William, who is patron of the Welsh Rugby Union. The Duchess’ sister Pippa Middleton revealed back in 2014 that rugby was a “big thing” in their family.
Writing for Vanity Fair , Pippa shared, “Rugby was a big thing for our family, and the focal point was international matches, which were often played on Saturday afternoons and were as much social as sporting occasions.”
“We’d plan our weekends around the big matches, a quick bite to eat at halftime or lunch on our laps, typically a chicken potpie or something equally cozy and English,” Pippa added. “If we lost, my dad would be in a state of despair for the rest of the afternoon, as if he’d actually lost the game himself.”