2019

Today, the ever-competitive sports lovers, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge faced each other head to head in the inaugural regatta The King’s Cup in Cowes, the Isle of Wight. After a 1 and half decade of Polo games, now we are moving towards another interesting event in the royal calendar. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge launched another era of royal games this year in May with the King’s Cup.

Whenever Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have joint engagement they are guaranteed to be fun. And if they are sports-related we surely are in for a very competitive yet romantic treat. This Cup is taking those moments to a new level of fun and adventure while promoting some serious causes that need attention and funding.

William and Catherine went head to head against each other and 6 others in an eight boat regatta race as the skippers of individual sailing boats in state of the art Fast-40 boats. The regatta includes a number of races and began at 2 PM. The regatta was hosted ahead of the inaugural Cowes SailGP and Cowes Week.

The King’s Cup supported and presented by the Land Rover have eight boats, each representing one of the charities that are being supported by William and Catherine. These include Child Bereavement UK, Centrepoint, the London Air Ambulance Charity 30th Anniversary Campaign, and Tusk – four causes of which The Duke is Patron. The Duchess is supporting four of her patronages; Action on Addiction, Place2Be, the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, and The Royal Foundation in connection with her work on Early Years.

Action on Addiction, one of the first four charities Catherine accepted,  is the only UK addictions charity that works across all the areas of treatment, research, family support and professional education. Speaking at Action on Addiction’s gala dinner on 12 June 2019, in celebration of Addiction Awareness Week 2019, Duchess who became the patron of the charity on January 05, 2012 remarked,

“Action on Addiction was one of my very first patronages, and as such, it is very close to my heart. I’m hugely passionate about the support it provides, especially for parents, children and families who suffer from, or through, addiction, and in some ways, it was the catalyst for my interest in early childhood development too. What is remarkable about Action on Addiction is that it goes beyond helping those who are suffering on the courageous journey into recovery – it also lends direct support to the children and families affected by addiction – for as long as it takes.”

Place2Be works in schools providing early intervention mental health support, without stigmatising children, young people or families and at a point where they need it most. Duchess’ patronage was announced on April 19, 2013. The Charity currently supports over 200 schools nationwide by providing schools with trained counsellors and therapist to work with children, parents, teacher and other school staff.

An interesting fact is Duchess has organized events to raise funds for Place2Be even before marrying into the royal family. One of them was the 80s themed charity roller disco in 2008 at a London nightclub where she famously wore a green and yellow sparkling dress.

At Charity’s School Leaders forum in 2017, The Duchess said: “Getting support to children at the very earliest stage helps improve their outcomes in later life.” She discussed her experience as a mother and said getting used to leaving my own child at the school gates, it’s clear to me that it takes a whole community to help raise a child. Whether we are school leaders, teachers, support staff or parents – we’re all in this together.

The Anne Freud Centre is a UK children’s mental health charity. The Centre offers a wide range of services i.e. therapy, support, training to children, families and schools. They provide training for mental health professionals and carry out research. Anna Freud Centre’s mission is to transform the experience of children, young people and their families with mental health issues by carrying out research, developing and offering services, teaching and training. Duchess is a patron of Anna Freud Centre since February 17, 2016.

The Duchess of Cambridge’s Early Years programme at The Royal Foundation aims to ensure that every child has the best possible start in life. For several years Catherine has been working with experts and organisations that are championing the importance of early intervention to provide solid social and emotional platforms for children to make them healthier and more resilient later in life, and provide them with the foundations to lead to healthy adulthood.

Stemming originally from her work on issues like addiction and family breakdown, The Duchess has observed that so many of society’s greatest social and health challenges, and the intergenerational cycle of disadvantage, could be mitigated or entirely avoided by providing the right support for children in the early years. Coordinated by the Royal Foundation, she established a steering group, which over the past year has explored a range of potential solutions to questions surrounding the support provided to children, parents and teachers, from the earliest years.

Speaking at the symposium on early intervention on the 21st March 2018, Duchess said,

We all know how important childhood is; and how the early years shape us for life. We also know how negative the downstream impact can be, if problems emerging at the youngest age are overlooked, or ignored. It is therefore vital that we nurture children through this critical, early period.

The palace said,

“The Duke and Duchess are strong advocates for sport, and have undertaken work both in the UK and overseas to highlight the positive impact that sport can have on the individual and within local communities. The Duchess in particular champions how the benefits of sport, nature and the outdoors can impact childhood development, and lead to improved physical and mental wellbeing for all. Their Royal Highnesses hope that The King’s Cup will become an annual event, bringing greater awareness to the wider benefits of sport, whilst also raising support and funds for the causes that The Duke and Duchess support.”

The winning team will be awarded The King’s Cup, a historic trophy first presented by King George V at Cowes’ Royal Yacht Squadron in 1920.

The King’s Cup trophy was first presented in 1920 by King George V.

📷The King is pictured here at Cowes’ Royal Yacht Squadron in 1924.

Today The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are going head to head in The King’s Cup to raise awareness and funds for eight of their patronages. pic.twitter.com/KmgiYlAXYu

— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) August 8, 2019

The trophy was awarded at a public prize-giving ceremony in the early afternoon, held at the SailGP Race Village along Cowes seafront towards Egypt Point.

The venue of the sailing competition is the beautiful city of Cowes in the Isle of Wight. Home to the oldest and biggest sailing regatta in the world, Cowes is the number one destination for sailors during the summer months.

Earlier last week, the skipper for each boat was announced with Duke leading Child Bereavement UK and Duchess skipping the boat of The Royal Foundation in connection with her work on Early Years. The skippers of the other 6 boats are prominent names from different fields including Fara Williams representing Centrepoint; Dan Snow competing on behalf of London’s Air Ambulance Charity; and Bear Grylls will represent Tusk.

Dan Snow tweeted a quite motivated tweet last week setting the mood for the day of competition. Duchess is joined by John Bishop for Action on Addiction, Katie Thistleton for Place2Be, and Helen Glover for the Anna Freud Centre. From Victoria Murphy’s report,

CEO of Action on Addiction Graham Beech told T&C that the event was a “fantastic opportunity” raise awareness, adding, “We are so proud and so pleased that we are one of the charities that have been selected.” He also said that “the work that we do is about helping people and treating people but it’s also about raising awareness of the impact of addiction and how people can move into recovery.”

Supporting the Centrepoint boat were young people who have been helped by the U.K.’s leading homeless charity. Andy Ali, 21, who was homeless at 17, told T&C that being at the race was “something very different to what I would usually do.” He has previously met Prince William and spoken to him about the race. “I feel like he really cared about taking part,” Ali says of his conversation with the royal. “He asked me personal questions which I wouldn’t expect him to ask.”

This is not the first time we are seeing William and Catherine on opposite teams of sailing races. The first time they led opposite sailing teams was during Canada tour in 2011, shortly after their marriage. Then during the New Zealand tour in April 2014, the couple again went head to head. By the time they competed third time in Germany during 2017 tour the score was 2-1 with William leading. This year again we saw them competing during Northern Ireland visit.

Guess who came to cheer up Mummy and Daddy, our little Prince Geroge and Princess Charlotte. They were joined by Grandpa Michael Middleton and Grandma Carole Middleton on the sea.

George looked cute in his captain’s hat and proudly showed his missing front tooth. Emily Nash reported on Twitter,”kids enjoyed a fun morning on the foreshore in Cowes, taking part in family activities including a tug-of-war with “Pirate Pete” bubbles, and a magician ahead of the afternoon’s racing”.

Victoria Murphy on Twitter reported that the whole Cambridge family was in Cowes today for the event. It looks like Louis was somewhere else with his nanny Maria. It’s lovely to see William and Catherine bringing Geroge and Charlotte to an official engagement. I am sure kids enjoyed the time at sea with grandparents. It was a treat to all the royal watchers as none of us was expecting to see the kids there though some were wishing.

Here’s that cheeky moment from Princess Charlotte again – very funny moment! #kingscup pic.twitter.com/Ew7LwGniMs

— Emily Nash (@emynash) August 8, 2019

A cheeky moment from Charlotte. Duchess of Cambridge asked her daughter to wave at the crowd gathered outside and Charlotte greeted them in her own style. Leaving big laughter behind.

There were two races during the sailing competition. In the first race team, William’s boat ended in the third place, while the Duchess’ boat was on seventh with Tusk boat leading on the first position.

The race finished with the Tusk boat winning both the races. Adventurer Bear Grylls was sailing the Tusk boat. London Air Ambulance was in the second position. William’s boat finished in fifth place in the second race and overall third place.

Unfortunately, the Duchess’ boat was disqualified from the cup during the second race for starting too early.

A giant wooden spoon for the captain whose team finished last. Step forward the Duchess of Cambridge. pic.twitter.com/QBqKhQfbHj

— Richard Palmer (@RoyalReporter) August 8, 2019

Duchess was presented with an enormous wooden spoon at the trophy-presenting ceremony. The gracious loser Catherine accepted it with a huge smile on her face. Richard Palmer shared this really funny video on his twitter page.

Duchess posing happily with her wooden spoon.

Tusk Conservation team led by Bear Grylls took the King’s Cup home. Grylls also teasted that Prince George had eaten his “first ant” today. While picking up his trophy he said, “And also Prince George, your first ant you ate today. And that is a great moment. Well done you.”

For the day, Duchess first chose a beautiful Sandro Paris knitted top. Thanks to Caroline Parr on Twitter for the quick id.

Crafted from 100% cotton, the $190 top features short sleeves, ruffles on the sleeve ends and hemline. The top has stripes on it in multicolour i.e. white, red, blue and mustard.

The top is currently on sale for $90 and is available on Sandro, Orchard Mile, Selfridges.

A closer look at the pattern.

Duchess paired the top with her LK Bennett Navy Parker Trouser that she debuted in May 2019 to launch the King’s Cup.

And wore her Superga Cotu Sneakers.

Before the race, Catherine changed into a white t-shirt having King’s Cup logo on it and blue shorts.

Duchess was wearing New Balance Women’s 611v1 Cross Trainer. Thanks to LadyParky79 on Twitter for the id. The $110 trainers have a synthetic sole, cushioned midsole. Described as, “Featuring a cush+ midsole with integrated spin spot technology, the women’s 611 training shoe from New Balance is designed to help you move naturally through spins, turns, and lateral movements with ultra-plush comfort. Meanwhile, the breathable synthetic upper offers lightweight support and versatility from boot camp to dance class. ” they are currently available on Amazon in different sizes and colours.

Catherine finished the look with Kiki Lauren Yellow Gold Pavé Diamond Leaf Earrings. During the race, Kate topped her outfit with Silver Gray Gill Marine Women’s Team Softshell Jacket. Thanks to MiddletonMaven for the id.

The $155 jacket is described as, “Simple and elegant, this Women’s Team Softshell Jacket delivers a clean-cut look that works for every day, as well as performance fabrics that can stand up to the difficult weather conditions of the sea. Its breathable construction and fleece-lined interior are lightweight yet warm, allowing for wear throughout the changing seasons while a water repellent finish keeps moisture out. Finished with zipped pockets and adjustable cuffs and hem”. It is also available in black.

Katie on Twitter noted that both William and Catherine might be wearing a customised version of Gill Marine Race Cap. It features Retainer cord with new corrosion-proof clip, Dark under-brim absorbs reflected UV rays and reduces glare from the water and Wicking inner headband. The $25.95 cap is described as, “When the weather’s against you and the elements make everything unpredictable, one mistake can cost the race. But, in the right kit, anything is possible. Put the competition in the shade with the Gill Race Cap featuring solar and water repellent protection. “