Relationships

Prince Harry and William skip solemn event for sporting duties

Nov 12, 2017

Prince William and Harry both attended their own royal engagements, with a game of rugby thrown in.

Prince Harry is a big rugby fan and he proved it during a visit to Twickenham. He was there to watch England play Argentina rather than join other royals, including the Queen, at the Festival of Remembrance.

The 33-year-old royal is patron of the Rugby Football Union, and he took time out to meet those who’d been nominated for their contribution to the sport, before sitting down to watch the game, which England won 21 to 8.

Prince Harry has been welcomed to @EnglandRugby by Maria Crowfoot, Don McDermott, Karen Hood and Steve Gascoyne who have all been selected for their amazing work to support players and the game pic.twitter.com/yRTwT36nXY

— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) November 11, 2017

Prince Harry is meeting volunteers from @CWGC, the official match-day charity, paying tribute to the 1.7m men and women of Commonwealth who died in the two World Wars pic.twitter.com/fpGbvpQtre

— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) November 11, 2017

Looking dapper in a dark coloured suit, the popular prince was also wearing a poppy, as a mark of respect for Remembrance Day.

Prince Harry arrives at Twickenham, the home of @EnglandRugby with RFU President John Spencer. HRH became Patron in January, taking over the Patronage from Her Majesty The Queen who held the post for 64 years. pic.twitter.com/LfLD5Dwipr

— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) November 11, 2017

William wasn’t missing out on the sporting action either. Dress much like Harry, he was in Cardiff, watching Wales play Australia.

Both boys were without their respective partners.

Prince Harry has already said he won’t bring Meghan Markle to public events because it is impossible to hide her.

Meanwhile the Duchess of Cambridge, pregnant with her and William’s third child, joined the Queen at the Armistice event at the Royal Albert Hall.

The special event marked the centenaries of women’s service in the regular armed forces, the Battle of Passchendaele, the creation of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and the 100th birthday of forces’ sweetheart Dame Vera Lynn.

While there were comments about both the Princes’ absence from the event, royal sources stressed they were taking part in their own royal engagements as patrons of the two nations involved in the games.