The Princess of Wales has received floods of praise online for her down-to-earth manner as she jumped behind the wheel to get herself to Windsor Castle – all while wearing stilettos
15:27, 16 Jan 2026Updated 15:28, 16 Jan 2026
The Princess of Wales in Windsor(Image: Getty Images)
Princess Kate has delighted royal fans with her humble way of getting to an important royal engagement at Windsor Castle. The Princess of Wales met with the World Cup-winning Red Roses England women’s rugby team, with the venue close to her Forest Lodge home
Kate, who is patron of the Rugby Football Union, hosted a reception at the castle for the national team to celebrate their September 2025 victory – the team’s first World Cup win since 2014. And now a video of the princess arriving at the castle has since gone viral and garnered much attention from royal fans, showing Kate pulling up in a black car she was driving herself.
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After arriving at the royal venue, Kate was recorded stepping out as a man stood waiting to hand the mother-of-three an umbrella to shield her from the rainfall. Kate gracefully stepped out of the car before walking with the man, holding the umbrella to protect them both from the rain.
The clip prompted a major fan reaction online, with one post on X saying: “The Princess of Wales drove herself to Windsor Castle this afternoon to host a reception for the England Women’s rugby team – in an Alexander McQueen suit and stilettos. Iconic”.
Another added: “So amazing she doesn’t require people to drive her and can easily do it herself.” Another impressed fan wrote: “Driving in stilettos – respect right there!”
A third person commented on Kate’s actions, saying: “I love the fact that she’s holding her own umbrella.” A fourth agreed, saying: “I love it that she took that umbrella from him, and she carried it!”
Kate drove herself to Windsor Castle for an engagement on Thursday(Image: PA)
Inside the royal engagement, Kate shared a candid admission about her eldest child Prince George, and how she often avoids him, as he grows into a teenager, when playing sport at home.
While mingling with the players and their coach, Kate – who is patron of the Rugby Football Union – praised their win and hailed the “amazing achievement,” telling the world champions: “You’ve really inspired all the new generation (that) perhaps might not even have thought rugby was for them.”
Kate added: “I think it really showed how accessible rugby is to so many types of girls, in different parts of the country.” When asked if her daughter played the sport, the princess replied: “Charlotte is playing rugby but at home with the family, so she isn’t yet at school, and I was asking how many schools are actually incorporating (rugby).
“Rugby is so accessible, Louis is playing touch rugby and it’s such a great game. Actually, they shouldn’t necessarily push boys and girls in particular sports too early.”
Kate met with the World Cup-winning Red Roses England women’s rugby team(Image: AP)
Kate then had the rugby team in stitches with her candid comment about Prince George, as she said: “Obviously as they get physically stronger – George now, if we play at home, I do not want to get tackled by George – but, up to a certain age, I think it’s great.”
The Red Roses beat Canada 33-13 in the final in front of a record-breaking crowd of 81,885 spectators at a sold-out Twickenham, securing a third World Cup victory for England following wins in 2014 and 1994.
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