Pregnant Kate Middleton Challenges Prince William to a Hockey Shootout

During the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's visit to Sweden, the royals faced off in a friendly competition

By Elyse Dupre Jan 30, 2018 12:50 PMTags

Kate Middleton and Prince William demonstrated their athletic abilities on Tuesday when they competed in a hockey shootout as part of their royal tour of Sweden.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited an outdoor skating rink at Vasaparken park in Stockholm to learn about the sport bandy hockey. According to Kensington Palace, the sport dates back to 1813 and is one of the most popular sports in Scandinavia, Eastern Europe and the U.S.

Once they arrived, the royals visited with young players to hear more about the sport. Then, it was time to put their own skills to the test.

Taking an athletic stance, Kate slammed the ball into the goal. However, her husband ended up winning their friendly face-off. According to BBC News, William scored two goals while Kate scored one.

"I could see that maybe they like to beat each other," said Anna Widing, who coached the couple before the competition. "Also they were pushing each other to do well."

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Still, Kate may be the more athletic one in the family. Over the years, the royal has tried everything from sailing and archery to field hockey and rock climbing. 

Kate even talked about her love of sports during SportsAid's 40th Anniversary dinner back in 2016.

"Some of you may know that I love sport," she said during her speech at the time. "I love cheering on teams and athletes that I am passionate about.  I love the physical challenge sport presents and the mental strength it gives us all.  And I love the way it so often brings people together to work as part of a team."

Kate bundled up for the shootout in a Burberry coat and a sweater by Swedish designer Fjallraven.

After heading off the ice, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge shared some hot chocolate with young athletes and received a few bandy jerseys. They then met with the King and Queen of Sweden, as well as with Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel at the Royal Palace of Stockholm. 

The couple is spending two days in Sweden before moving on to Norway for another two days.

However, Kate will likely be making fewer trips in the upcoming months. The royal is pregnant with the couple's third child and is scheduled to give birth in April.