Kate Middleton, Prince William Open Soccer Center, Meet England Squad—and Mock Prince Harry

Royal duo are on hand to christen the country's new national football center, and Wills can't resist a jab at his little brother's expense

By Gina Serpe Oct 09, 2012 3:29 PMTags
Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Kate MiddletonRui Vieira - WPA Pool/Getty Images

What with being former teammates of David Beckham, the England soccer squad is no strangers to all things posh and sporty, and they got a double dose of just that when Kate Middleton and Prince William met up with the superstar players.

The royal couple made the quick jaunt up from London (made even quicker thanks to their chosen mode of transportation: helicopter) to St. George's Park in Burton-upon-Trent, where they helped christen the Football Association's National Football Centre.

Or soccer field, to us Yanks.

Along with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the whole of the England squad was on hand to help open the center, with Kate and Will (who also serves as the president of the FA and is a regular fixture at big games) laughing and chatting with the famous players.

In addition to meeting the athletes, coaches and managers—and getting the grand royal tour of the facilities—Will and Kate also mingled with young footballers during the meet-up.

"Coming here this morning, I see these wonderful facilities and beautiful surrounding, just experiencing this extraordinary place, gave me the same feelings I had when I first went to the Olympic Park," Will said in a speech. "A mixture of pride that we are capable in this country of creating something so beyond compare anywhere else, and excitement at what this means, not just for our national game, but for sport and opportunity in this country as a whole."

And, consummate big brother that he is, Wills also managed to get a jab into his brother during the proceedings, saying, "I feel tempted to 'Cry God for Harry, England and St. George,' but I really don't want to lower the tone by bringing my brother into it."

Chris Jackson - Pool /The FA via Getty Images

That would be his Man of the Year brother Prince Harry, of course.

For the occasion, Kate wore a previous season's military gray Reiss "Angel" coat, a Betony belt from her same go-to store, and black suede knee-high boots. The royals' mini-tour continues tomorrow, when Kate is scheduled to make several appearances in Newcastle, while William will attend a fundraising dinner in honor of 100 Women in Hedge Funds.