While chatting with Eugene Levy on an episode of The Reluctant Traveler, Prince William shared that his eldest son has a new favorite hobby—and his mom, Princess Kate, knows all about it. “George loves his football and hockey,” Prince William revealed, while talking about his children’s many hobbies.
We’ve seen Prince George at several England football matches, but hockey—or field hockey, as it is commonly known—is a newly-reported hobby for the young prince. Princess Kate must be thrilled, as an advocate of the benefits of sport and as a field hockey player herself.
Kate Middleton started playing field hockey in primary school, at a small village school near Bucklebury, England. She visited her alma mater in 2012, and even played a few matches on the new playing green—in sky-high heels. Less than a week later, it was announced that she was pregnant with Prince George, and was experiencing hyperemesis gravidarum.
At St Andrew’s Pangborne, she discovered her love of the sport, and staying active. "It was while I was here at school that I realized my love of sport," she said while visiting the school in 2012. "Sport has been a huge part of my life, and I feel incredibly grateful for the opportunities I had to get outside and play in such wonderful open spaces.”
This wasn’t the only time Princess Kate showed off her hockey skills. She played a game with Team GB in 2012 during the London Olympics. Years later, she took to the ice (again, while pregnant!) to play bandy hockey while on an official visit to Stockholm. Princess Charlotte, Prince William, and Princess Kate also enjoyed a day out in 2022 to see the England v India women's field hockey match during the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
The Wales family are all passionate about playing sports and staying active. "I suppose as a family we were just very active. And I can always remember being physical, using our bodies, whether it's walking, climbing the lake district in Scotland [or] swimming from a young age," Princess Kate shared on a 2023 episode of Mike Tindall's podcast The Good, The Bad & The Rugby.
As a family, they enjoy bike rides and countryside dog walks, and the children are all active in sports at school. Alongside Prince George’s hockey and football, Prince Louis has started playing touch rugby, and Princess Charlotte loves a range of sports, too. Prince William shared with Eugene Levy, "Charlotte does her netball as well, and her ballet, and so keeping them busy with sports and just being outdoors is really important."
