Prince William at the rugby match on March 14. Prince William cheered on Wales in their Six Nations rugby match against Italy on Saturday, March 14<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n William is patron of the Welsh Rugby Union, while his wife, Kate Middleton, is patron of the Rugby Football Union in England<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n The outing comes amid fallout surrounding his uncle, the former Prince Andrew, following his arrest and ongoing scrutiny of his ties to Jeffrey Epstein<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Prince William<\/a> kept calm and carried on with royal duties on Saturday, March 14, cheering on Wales during their Six Nations rugby match against Italy at Principality Stadium in Cardiff \u2014 an appearance that came during a turbulent moment for the royal family.<\/p>\n The Prince of Wales, 43, attended the match in his role as patron of the Welsh Rugby Union as the monarchy continues to grapple with the fallout from the arrest of his uncle, the former Prince Andrew<\/a>, and ongoing protests<\/a> tied to Andrew\u2019s long-scrutinized association with Jeffrey Epstein<\/a>.<\/p>\n Despite the mounting scrutiny facing the royal family, William appeared focused on the game as he took his seat in the stands to support the Welsh side in the annual international tournament.<\/p>\n Prince William and others at the rugby match on March 14. The Six Nations Championship is one of rugby\u2019s most prestigious competitions, bringing together the men\u2019s teams of England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales each year. Tournaments are also held for women’s teams and under-20 squads.<\/p>\n William\u2019s patronage of Welsh rugby sometimes puts him in friendly rivalry<\/a> with his wife, Kate Middleton<\/a>, who serves as patron of the Rugby Football Union in England. The Prince of Wales has held his role since 2016, while the Princess of Wales took on her patronage in February 2022.<\/p>\n That appointment was one of Prince Harry<\/a>\u2019s former royal roles to be reassigned after he and wife \u00a0Meghan Markle<\/a>\u00a0stepped back from their duties as working royals.<\/p>\n The rugby rivalry has even extended to the couple\u2019s home life with their children \u2014 Prince George<\/a>,\u00a012,\u00a0Princess Charlotte<\/a>, 10, and\u00a0Prince Louis<\/a>, 7 \u2014 who have also developed a passion for the sport.<\/p>\n According to The Sunday Times<\/em><\/a>, William once joked that the household rivalry over rugby has become \u201cquite the thing in the house,\u201d though he said he was \u201ctrying to stay out of it.\u201d<\/p>\n Prince William and others at the rugby match on March 14. William has long been known to enjoy the sport himself and often joins in during royal engagements.<\/p>\n During a visit to South Africa in November 2024 tied to his Earthshot Prize initiative, the prince took to the pitch with former rugby star Joel Stransky while coaching local children.<\/p>\n \u201cHe was amazing,\u201d Stransky told PEOPLE at the time<\/a>. \u201cHe was one of the boys, humble and upright human being.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI ran into him in the drill, and he was really cool about it,\u201d the former player added with a laugh. \u201cHe\u2019s a good ball player. You could see he\u2019s a natural.\u201d<\/p>\n Can’t get enough of PEOPLE’s Royals coverage? Sign up for <\/strong>our free Royals newsletter<\/strong><\/a> to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Wales have won the second-most championships in Six Nations history, with 28, behind only England, who has just one more. Conversely, Italy has never won a Six Nations championship, giving them some extra motivation in this year’s match.<\/p>\n However, coming into the game, Wales was at the bottom of the Six Nations table<\/a> with just one point, while Italy was sitting in fourth with nine. Defending champions France were tied at the top with Scotland with 16 points apiece.<\/p>\n Read the original article on People<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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