The Best Photos of the British Royal Family Playing Sports
For generations, members of the royal house of Windsor have loved playing sports. Princess Anne and her daughter, Zara, both competed in the Olympics; Princess Diana was known for her stylish ski outfits; and Prince Harry and Prince William followed in their father's footsteps and both play polo. And then there's Kate Middleton, probably the sportiest royal, who played field hockey in school and is always game to try a new athletic pursuit.
The next generation of royals are also sporty: Prince Harry revealed in 2020 that he's been trying to teach Archie how to play rugby in California, and Princess Charlotte could be spotted kicking a soccer ball while watching her dad play polo in 2019.
Without further ado, here are the best photos of members of the British royal family partaking in athletic endeavors.
Tennis
The Princess of Wales played tennis at an event with US Open winner Emma Raducanu. Kate is a keen tennis fan and she is frequently seen in the royal box at Wimbledon in her role as Patron of the Lawn Tennis Association.
More: All of the Times Kate Middleton's Proved She's the Sportiest Royal
In June 2023, the Princess of Wales joined Roger Federer on the grass courts at Wimbledon.
Princess Diana played tennis with world no. 1 tennis player Steffi Graf in London, June 1988.
King George VI was also fond of sports; he is pictured here during a tennis game in 1922.
More: The Best Photos of the Royals Playing Tennis
Polo
King Charles was an avid polo player—pictured here during the Princess of Wales Polo match, November 1985.
More: 30 Photos of Kate Middleton, Princess Diana, and Other Royals at Polo Matches.
Brothers Prince Harry (left) and Prince William (right) competed during a charity polo match at Billingbear Polo Club on July 10, 2019.
More: Everything you need to know about polo
Prince Philip played bicycle polo in August 1967.
Zara Phillips, an Olympian, took part in a Jockeys vs Olympians charity polo match in June 2016.
Okay, he might not technically be mid-play, but this photo taken June 5, 1956 of Queen Elizabeth chatting with Prince Philip during a pause in his polo game—accompanied by Prince Charles, Princess Anne, and one of her corgis—is just too good.
Equestrian events
Zara Phillips is an accomplished equestrian; here, she competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. At those Games, the granddaughter of the Queen even won a silver medal as a member of the Great Britain equestrian eventing team.
More: 11 Royals Who Have Competed in the Olympics
Zara followed in the footsteps of her mom, Princess Anne, who competed at the 1976 Montreal Olympics.
At the Summer Games, Anne rode Goodwill, Queen Elizabeth's horse, in the three-day equestrian event. Here, she's pictured during the cross country part of the competition.
Rugby
Prince Harry is a longtime rugby fan. In 2020, he even shared he's trying to teach his son, Archie, how to play—but was having trouble finding equipment in the U.S.
"It is fantastic," he said of living in California. "What I need is a few mini rugby balls that I can then get Archie involved with the game because at the moment it is impossible to find any."
Harry is pictured here in 2013.
After Prince Harry stepped down as a working royal, two of his former rugby patronages transferred to Kate Middleton: the Rugby Football League and the Rugby Football Union.
"These new patronages, which have been given to The Duchess by Her Majesty The Queen, closely align with Her Royal Highness’ longstanding passion for sport and the lifelong benefits it can provide, both within our communities and on an individual level,” Kensington Palace said at the time.
To celebrate her new patronages, Kate took part in an England rugby training session (pictured) in February 2022.
In 2023, the Princess of Wales joined training drills at the Maidenhead Rugby Club. She revealed that she regularly plays rugby with Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis in their backyard, and Princess Charlotte is competitive.
Prince William, too, is a rugby fan, and played the sport in school. He's pictured here in May 2003 with a rugby ball while at university in St Andrews, Scotland.
However, the best rugby player in the royal family has to be Mike Tindall, a former professional rugby player, who married Zara Phillips.
More: 7 Things to Know About Mike Tindall
Soccer
William also played soccer—er, football—in school. The prince is pictured here at Eton, at age 18.
Kate played soccer during a visit to Windsor Park Stadium in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in February 2017. Kate loves a sporty moment on a royal tour!
More: A Look Back on Prince William and Kate Middleton's Most Memorable Royal Tour Moments
Total focus as Kate kicked a soccer ball in wedges in Mumbai, India, during the first day of the Cambridges' royal tour of India and Bhutan in 2016.
More: Everything Duchess Kate Wore For the Royal Tour of India and Bhutan
Princess Charlotte is her mother's daughter: In 2019, while attending a charity polo match, she was snapped playing with a soccer ball.
More: Princess Charlotte's Cutest Moments
Skiing
Princess Diana pictured with her skis in Klosters, Switzerland, February 1986.
More: 50+ Photos that Prove the Royals Are the Most Stylish Skiers
Diana with Harry and William on a ski vacation in Austria in 1991.
Royal cousins Prince Harry, Princess Eugenie, Princess Beatrice, and Prince William posed for a portrait while skiing in Switzerland in 1995.
Cricket
Kate visited the National Cricket Academy during the Cambridges' royal tour of Pakistan in 2019 and played cricket.
More: The Best Photos from Kate Middleton and Prince William's Royal Tour of Pakistan
Prince Philip also played cricket! (Philip played most sports.) Here, he's pictured bowling at the nets during cricket practice at the Petty Officer's Training Center in Wiltshire in July 1947.
King Charles, too, occasionally partakes in a cricket game. Here, he batted at the Singhalese Cricket Club in Colombo, Sri Lanka, in February 1998.
Running
Kate, William, and Harry took part in a relay race during a training event to promote their charity Heads Together in London in 2017.
Harry jokingly raced gold medalist Usain Bolt when he toured Jamaica in 2012 for the Queen's Silver Jubilee. (Usain let him win.)
Princess Diana ran barefoot when she took part in the mother's race during Prince Harry's 1991 school sports day.
Princess Beatrice ran the London Marathon in a green tutu in 2010.
Football
While in Australia, Meghan Markle caught a football.
More: The Best Photos From Each Day of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Royal Tour
Before marrying into the British royal family, Meghan took part in a game of flag football alongside other celebrities like Serena Williams (center) and model Hannah Davis (right).
Sailing
The then-Duchess of Cambridge pictured at the helm of a boat during the inaugural King’s Cup regatta in August 2019. During her gap year, Kate crewed on a yacht.
More: 30 Photos of the British Royals Rowing, Sailing, and Cruising on Boats
Prince Philip sailed off Cowes, Isle of Wight, in June 1968. (The Royal Yacht, Britannia is in the background.) During World War II, the Duke of Edinburgh served in the Royal Navy.
Princess Anne sailed in the Royal Lymington Yacht Club's Annual Regatta in July 1992.
Windsurfing
Prince Edward windsurfed off Cowes, the Isle of Wight, in August 1980.
King Charles was photographed windsurfing a few times over the years, including here in August 1978 in Deauville, France.
Sophie Rhys-Jones, later the Countess of Wessex then the Duchess of Edinburgh, after marrying Prince Edward, is also a fan of windsurfing. Here, she windsurfed off the coast of the Isle of Wight in 1994.
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