Kate Middleton Announces Her New Role In This Sporty Social Media Post

When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle left the U.K. and their royal duties behind for a new life in sunny Montecito, C.A., they left several holes that needed to be filled. While the couple has since found new roles as they grow their business endeavors, the Daily Mail reported that the royals back across the pond have had to take on some of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's former positions. This includes Prince William's wife, Kate Middleton.

According to YouGov ratings as of 2021, the Duchess of Cambridge is arguably the most popular female royal aside from the beloved queen herself. Currently, she is busy raising her three children — George, Charlotte, and Louis — while preparing for the future when Prince William will one day ascend the throne. As an active member of the royal family, she is also patron to several British sports organizations, including the SportsAid, The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, The Lawn Tennis Association, and the 1851 Trust. As of February 2022, Kate has added another patronage to her roster.

When Prince Harry was still a working member of the royal family, he was a patron of the Royal Football Union and the Royal Football League. However, Kate Middleton will now be assuming that role, as she announced her new position on Instagram on February 2. "I am so thrilled to become Patron of the Rugby Football League and Rugby Football Union — two fantastic organizations who are committed to harnessing the power that sport can have in bringing communities together and helping individuals flourish," the Duchess of Cambridge wrote alongside the post, which showed video of her and others tossing a rugby ball. "I look forward to working with them across all levels of the games, and to cheering England on in what promises to be an exciting year for both sports!"

According to People, the Royal Football Union and the Royal Football League is the first of Prince Harry's patronages to be reassigned after he headed stateside. The outlet also points out that Kate Middleton's newest patronage may set up some inter-house rivalry, as Prince William is patron to the Welsh Rugby Union — but there's nothing like a little friendly competition between spouses, right?

It's common to bestow patronages on royal family members that have something to do with their own personal interests. For example, Meghan Markle was a patron to various arts organizations when she still had royal family duties. And as someone known for her athleticism, per People, Kate Middleton has assumed a number of wide-ranging sports patronages.

"Patronages are quite a key part of being a member of the royal family," royal reporter Victoria Murphy told Town & Country in 2019. "Members of the royal family accumulate many organizations throughout their lives. They're lending their support to an organization and having an ongoing relationship." She added that these relationships allow the royals to "transform" the charity or organization through their star power and influence. "The attention can hopefully encourage things like increasing donations to charities and awareness of the causes," Murphy said, per Town & Country. Kate Middleton proved that she's already up for the job by visiting the England Rugby Team's players and coaches as they readied for the Six Nations Championship games, per People. She also joined in a training session, where she got the chance to show off her athletic prowess.