Kate Middleton breaks protocol by wearing shorts for the first time as a royal -- and people are freaking out!
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge returned from their summer vacation in Mustique to set sail in Cowes, Isle of Wight, as part of the couple's inaugural King's Cup Regatta.
Thursday's competition saw the royal parents-of-three joining the race as skippers to raise money for eight select charities. The organization Tusk, which was led by Bear Grylls as one of Prince William's four teams, won the regatta and the coveted King's Cup!
And while a toothless Prince George and a sassy Princess Charlotte definitely stole the show at the event, royal fans were quick to notice just how casual the duchess was in her white polo and jacket by Gill Marine, New Balance tennis shoes and navy shorts. Her outfit was a very big deal considering the reaction from Twitter: it was the first time the royal's been seen in shorts... EVER.
Kate just wore shorts for the first time in eight years: FEEL THE RAIN ON YOUR SKIN, KATE. https://t.co/SjoGHWVaQB
— pop.finna (@popfinna) August 9, 2019
kate in shorts had me shook haha. ⛵️ #duchessofcambridgehttps://t.co/emdzwOZJ1Y
— 𝐣𝐮𝐥𝐢𝐚 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐚 (@juliacalina) August 8, 2019
No one freak out, but Kate Middleton wore shorts??? Yassss queeeeeennnnnn
— Cera (@babblebee) August 8, 2019
Nothing wrong with Kate wearing shorts. She looked great and the shorts were appropriate for the event.
— Katie Stewart (@KatieSt26026878) August 8, 2019
Given the United Kingdom's recent record-breaking temperatures and the nature of the event, it's no surprise that the duchess swapped her trousers and leggings for shorts. For previous sailing events, the duchess instead opted for leggings, jeans and frequently heels.
As part of Thursday's regatta, Prince William and Duchess Kate each chose four of their patronages to highlight: Prince William selected Child Bereavement UK, Centrepoint, London’s Air Ambulance Charity 30th Anniversary Campaign and Tusk, while Kate opted to support The Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, Action on Addiction, Place2Be and The Royal Foundation's work with Early Years.
Grylls' team won first place in both of the races, while the Duchess Kate-led Early Years foundation as part of The Royal Foundation received a wooden spoon for coming in eighth place.
"Their Royal Highnesses hope that The King’s Cup will become an annual event, bringing greater awareness to the wider benefits of sport, whilst also raising support and funds for the causes that The Duke and Duchess support," explained Kensington Palace.
