Being a royal is often pretty stuffy work. There are so many rules to follow and etiquette guidelines to adhere to, so when, for a moment, you get to see Prince William and Kate Middleton let down their hair a little bit, get playful, and just have some fun together, it's great. That's because it's in those moments that you actually get see them as people — and as a couple, which apparently includes a healthy amount of competition. That's why I never get tired of seeing photos of Will and Kate being sporty together, because they're just, well, adorable!
Both William and Kate are seemingly very athletic, and they never miss a chance to show it off. Whether that's hitting the slopes on a ski trip, racing rowboats, challenging each other to table tennis, or just kicking around a soccer ball. In these more common than you might think moments, you really do get to see the couple’s playful side, and it’s nice to know they don’t always take things too seriously. So, whether you're a fan of the royals or not, prepare to be charmed by these photos of the couple embracing their playful sides together, because they really are undeniably endearing.
Kate’s competitive side was on full display when she challenged William to a game of table tennis while the couple visited the Donald Dewar Leisure centre in Scotland in 2013. By the way, Kate won!
During a visit to Bhutan in 2016, the royal couple took in the spectacular scenery while on a hike up to the famed Tiger's Nest Monastery.
While visiting the London Marathon Training Day at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in February 2017, the pair took the opportunity to have little racing competition of their own.
During their royal tour of Australia in 2014, the couple went boating in Auckland, New Zealand, after doing a little friendly racing themselves on the Waitemata Harbour.
While they may not have been in on the competition this time, Kate and William still enjoyed getting out on the water in July 2016 in Portsmouth while watching the America's Cup World Series Race on the Solent strait.
Never a couple to turn down an athletic challenge, William and Kate tried their hands at abseiling while visiting the Towers Residential Outdoor Education Centre in Wales back in November 2015.
While visiting Northern Ireland in February 2019, the couple spent the day getting sporty with activities including archery, canoeing, and, of course, kicking a ball around on the field at Windsor Park football stadium in Belfast.
While visiting India in 2016, both William and Kate got in on the fun, playing a little soccer while visiting the Banganga Water tank in Mumbai.
Are you sensing a pattern? Yep, these two never miss a chance to kick the ball around when they see one, including here in London in July 2012 while visiting Bacon's College.
Kate put her field hockey skills to the test when she and William received a lesson in bandy hockey while on a royal visit to Stockholm, Sweden in January 2018.
The couple put their reflexes to the test while playing a reaction game during the launch of The Football Association's National Football Centre at St George's Park in Oct. 2012.
In my favorite photo of them all, the two of them goof off during an impromptu snowball fight while on a skiing vacation in the French Alps in 2016. That’s relatable, right?
But seriously, just looking at these two having fun and getting sporty is enough to guarantee that I am forever rooting for this royal team.
