Kate Middleton Had an Unexpected Style Twinning Moment at Rugby World Cup in Favorite Blazer
The Princess of Wales wasn't the only one to reach for a white blazer while supporting England's rugby squad
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Kate Middleton attends a SportsAid mental fitness workshop to mark World Mental Health Day on October 12Kate Middleton isn’t the only one who is a fan of a white blazer!
On Sunday, the Princess of Wales, 41, attended the 2023 Rugby World Cup quarterfinal match between England and Fiji in her royal role as patron of England's Rugby Football Union and Rugby Football League. Princess Kate popped from her spot in the stands at Stade Velodrome in her white Zara blazer with gold buttons — and wasn’t the only one who reached for such a piece. The Princess of Wales appeared to match with Lady Hilary Beaumont, who was a seat away from her and next to her husband, rugby icon Sir Bill Beaumont CBE, at the tournament in Marseille, France.
While Hilary wore her blazer with a patterned top and white pants, Princess Kate paired the $99 double-breasted blazer (that’s still in stock) with a white top and black trousers. The Princess of Wales previously wore the woven jacket to meet record-breaking Antarctic explorer Captain Preet Chandi in February and owns similar pieces in multiple colors, most recently wearing her red version for a family portage session for children with special needs in September.
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Kate Middleton at the Rugby World Cup France 2023 Quarter Final match between England and Fiji on October 15Related: Kate Middleton Cheers on England at the Rugby World Cup Quarterfinals in France
Kate didn’t appear to react to the twinning moment, but she's not the first royal to be surprised with such an outfit coincidence. Last year, Queen Letizia of Spain attended the Royal Board on Disability Council meeting sporting a black and white color block midi dress accented with a belt. When presenting the Reina Letizia 202 awards, recipient Inmaculada Vivas Teson stepped up wearing the exact dress as the royal. They even styled the dress similarly, both pairing the piece with black heels.
Queen Letizia laughed at their matching outfits, and the two women embraced.
The Princess of Wales' presence at the Rugby World Cup proved to be a good luck charm for Team England, which beat Fiji 30 to 24. The Princess of Wales then headed to the locker room after the game, where she congratulated players as they advanced to the next round.
The day prior, Prince William stepped out at Stade Velodrome for the Rugby World Cup quarterfinal between Wales and Argentina with a surprise guest: Prince George! The Prince of Wales is the longtime patron of the Welsh Rugby Union, and he brought his 10-year-old son to the big game. The father and son have had solo outings at soccer matches in the past, and George joined his parents for the Guinness Six Nations rugby game in London in February 2022.
While Wales lost to Argentina 17 to 29 in the quarterfinal on Saturday, Princess Kate still said that George had fun. According to Hello!, when Sir Bill asked if the young royal enjoyed watching the final, Kate said, "He did, he loved it so much."
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Prince William and Prince George at the Rugby World Cup quarter-final match between Wales and Argentina on October 14Though the Prince and Princess of Wales are a tight team, they share a lighthearted rugby rivalry and support two different U.K. squads. Prince William has been patron of the Welsh Rugby Union since 2016, while Princess Kate was named patron of the Rugby Football Union and Rugby Football League in February 2022. Queen Elizabeth tapped her granddaughter-in-law for the royal roles last winter, redistributing positions previously held by Prince Harry following his step back from his working royal role in 2020.
Kate and William traveled to France just last month to (separately) attend Group Stage matches of the Rugby World Cup, which began Sept. 8. While the couple was in Wales that day to mark the first anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s death, they supported their respective rugby squads at Group Stage matches that weekend.
Though Wales is out of the running for the 2023 Rugby World Cup, the stakes have only accelerated for Team England, which will next play South Africa at Stade de France in Saint-Denis on Saturday, Oct. 21.
If England were to win the semifinal and emerge victorious from the final on Oct. 28, it would be the squad’s first Rugby World Cup win in 20 years. England last won the title at the 2003 Rugby World Cup in Sydney, Australia — a team of which Zara Tindall’s husband, Mike Tindall, was a member!
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Kate Middleton at Rugby World Cup France 2023 Quarter Final match between England and Fiji on October 15Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!
Princess Anne’s son-in-law has been recapping the ongoing World Cup on his podcast The Good, The Bad & The Rugby, and recently welcomed the Princess Royal, Prince William and Princess Kate to the show for a special episode timed to the start of the tournament. At one point, Mike shared a little about Kate's personality behind the scenes and joked that she was competitive.
"I'm not going to say you're uber competitive," Mike said about Kate before pausing to give a nod indicating that she really was.
Princess Kate replied coyly, "I'm not competitive at all."
"I've seen her play beer pong!" Mike joked.
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