Prince William and Kate Middleton show competitive side in trip to Northern Ireland
Prince William and Kate Middleton visited Northern Ireland earlier this month, with the couple taking part in a number of activities during the trip
A Royal observer who followed Prince William and Princess Kate on their recent journey to Northern Ireland has disclosed just how competitive the duo got while participating in various activities.
Princess of Wales made her first trip to Northern Ireland since October 2022 earlier this month, accompanied by her husband. The pair arrived for the unexpected engagement on Tuesday morning, with Kensington Palace confirming they would spend the day "visiting innovative organisations that showcase growth and investment in rural areas and demonstrate entrepreneurial and creative opportunities for young people".
One of their stops included a session where they made apple and potato bread, with both royals rolling up their sleeves to harvest apples before baking the traditional loaves.
Rebecca English, the Royal editor for Daily Mail, revealed on the Palace Confidential podcast that the couple's competitive side came out during the bread-making activity, reports the Express.
She elaborated: "When they were making this apple and potato bread, at one point they were having to peel the apples they'd already harvested on this farm William [was] telling Catherine 'Keep up'.
"In any other situation it could have sparked a bit of domestic and she was just like 'Yeah, yeah, yeah', she's very game."
During their apple-themed engagement, Prince William and Kate Middleton sampled cider at Long Meadow Cider, a family-run business operated by the McKeever family, including Catherine and her son Peter.
Peter shared details of his interaction with the Royal couple, revealing that they enjoyed the freshly pressed juice, which had no added water or sugar.
"The juice was freshly pressed, with no added water or sugar. They got it in its raw, pure state, and they absolutely loved it. William didn't say what he liked as a favourite, but he said he likes a dry cider," he said.
In recent days, attention has been focused on Prince William, not just because of his visit to Northern Ireland, but also due to his ties with his uncle, Prince Andrew.
The latter recently gave up his Duke of York title following discussions with his nephew and King Charles, leading to speculation about how William might deal with his disgraced uncle once he becomes king.
Roya Nikkhah, a Royal correspondent for the Times, suggested that William might take a tough stance towards his uncle, possibly barring him from all public events.
She wrote: "The next monarch will be more ruthless. Buckingham Palace says the Prince of Wales was 'consulted' on the decision, but it is understood that he is not satisfied with the outcome and knows the 'Andrew problem' will be in his in-tray at some point.
"When William is King, Andrew will be banned from all elements of royal life. He will excluded from public and private royal events, including the coronation, and banned from most state occasions."