William and Kate joined by children as they watch Commonwealth Games netball

William and Kate joined by children as they watch Commonwealth Games netball

The Prince and Princess of Wales attended the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow accompanied by their three children: Prince George, 13, Princess Charlotte, 11, and Prince Louis, 8. While in Scotland, the couple are known as the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay.

The royal family watched a netball semi-final match at the Hydro arena between Jamaica, the silver medalists from Birmingham 2022, and Australia, the world's number 1 team. Following the match, the family exited the arena through lines of volunteers and met gymnast Reuben Ward and para powerlifter Mark Swan, both of whom won gold medals. On the concourse, the games' mascot, Finnie, fist-bumped William and Kate and high-fived the three children.

The visit continued at the Sir Chris Hoy velodrome in the city's east end. There, the family met the six-time Olympic champion to watch track cycling. The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh also attended the cycling events. Later, the family visited the Team Wales base in the city centre.

At the Team Wales base, the royals spoke with Abigail and Emily Roper, identical twins who won bronze medals within hours of one another. Abigail Roper described the meeting as quite a surreal experience, while Emily Roper said it was amazing to be with them in real life.

The visit included light-hearted moments involving the children. Kate asked Louis if he was perfecting your handstands on carpets. Louis also updated the Wales medal count board by sticking a large 7 sticker over a 5 to reflect two new gold medals. When Team Wales chef de mission Gethin Jones asked if the children wanted to see their parents on a tandem in the velodrome, William replied: We embarrass you enough as it is.

Each child received a soft toy of the Welsh dragon mascot, Gwen, and the entire family received goodie bags containing Welsh cycling outfits.

The visit occurred on the penultimate day of the Games, with the closing ceremony scheduled for Sunday. This iteration of the event, which began as the British Empire Games in 1930, featured the first-ever indoor opening ceremony. This change followed a financial restructuring after Victoria, an Australian state, withdrew as host in 2023 due to rising costs. During that opening ceremony, the King and Queen emerged from a Tardis at the Hydro arena.

Beyond the match and cycling, William and Kate will meet athletes whose careers were supported by SportsAid, a charity Kate has patronized since 2013. Previous SportsAid recipients include Tom Daley, Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill, Ellie Simmonds, and Sir Chris Hoy. They will also meet participants of the Team England Futures project, which provides young athletes and support staff with behind-the-scenes experience.

While his son was in Glasgow, King Charles III attended the Mey Highland Games at the John O’Groats showground on Saturday. Wearing a traditional kilt and sipping a dram of whisky, the King served as Chieftain, a title he has held since 2002 after succeeding the Queen Mother. The event, founded in 1970 to celebrate the Queen Mother's 70th birthday, attracts around 2,000 people.

The King watched traditional sports including the stone put, the tossing of the caber, and a tug o' war won by a group of firefighters. He also met with local entrepreneurs and the Wounded Highlanders, a team of injured military veterans competing in adaptive events.

The royal family's trip to Scotland comes during the children's summer break. It is the first time Prince George and Prince Louis have attended the Commonwealth Games, though Princess Charlotte has attended previously. The family is spending time together before George begins as a full-time boarder at Eton College.