Smack dab in the middle of their summer vacation, Kate Middleton and Prince William are heading back to work for the King’s Cup. And while we’ve known this would be the case for some time, Kensington Palace just revealed all new details about the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s joint engagement and they’re worth getting excited about.
Today, the palace revealed that the couple will host the inaugural regatta on Friday, August 9, to raise money for eight of their royal patronages. But that’s not all. Middleton, 37, and Prince William, 37, will both serve as skippers on individual sailing boats in an eight-boat regatta. That’s right—they’re facing off against one another in a competition for charity. How juicy!
In addition to bragging rights, the winning team will receive the King’s Cup, a trophy with an interesting royal history. It was first presented by King George V at the Cowes Royal Yacht Squadron in 1920, aka almost 100 years ago. But the exciting têtê-à-têtê royal race isn’t just for kicks. The event aims to bring awareness to the duke and duchess’s various patronages and raise both support and funds for their endeavors.
Surprisingly, this won’t be the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s first experience in a regatta. In 2011 they competed in the Dragon Boat race during their tour of North America. They also sailed against one another with the Emirates Team at the New Zealand America Cup in 2014. Middleton was victorious over Prince William in that round.
