Kate Middleton Shares Her First Video Message As Princess Of Wales

After the death of Queen Elizabeth II, her successor, King Charles III, announced that William and Catherine would become the Prince and Princess of Wales, per People. Kate's new title is especially poignant as the last person to hold it was her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana. But a source pointed out that while "the new Princess of Wales appreciates the history associated with this role but will understandably want to look to the future as she creates her own path."

Of course, Kate has always been one of the hardest-working royals. She's involved with many organizations and charities, including several children's hospitals, the National Portrait Gallery, Natural History Museum, and the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A). She's also patron to some of the U.K.'s most important sporting organizations, notably The Lawn Tennis Association, which includes Katharine, Duchess of Kent, as an associate member, Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, as a joint associate member, and Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester as honorary president (via the royal family's website).

Her workload increased after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duke and Duchess of Sussex, stepped down from their royal duties in 2020. In fact, Kate took over Harry's role as patron of the Royal Football Union and the Royal Football League. And when it came time to record her first video as the Princess of Wales, Kate decided to send a personal message to the English rugby team, the Red Roses.

Wearing a deep red blazer and a silver English rose brooch — the symbol of English rugby — Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, sent a special video message to the Red Roses, wishing them good luck as they prepare to compete in the Women's Rugby World Cup in New Zealand. "I had so much fun with you all at Twickenham earlier this year, and I cannot wait to see how you get on during the tournament," Kate said in the video.

The princess also congratulated the new players joining the 2022 squad, saying, "I know this will be a particularly proud moment in your career so far, and I hope you enjoy every minute. I was also delighted to hear that some of the winning squad from 2014 are back to help bring the cup home again." She added that she'd be setting her alarm clock so that she can wake up early to watch the matches and cheer the team on.

During her visit to Twickenham Stadium in February 2022, Kate impressed the professional rugby players with her skills, with former rugby player James Haskell saying she was "utterly fantastic ... really, really, really good," per Express.