Prince William was surprised with the unexpected gift he received for her daughter, Princess Charlotte, while hosting investitures at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday. Geva Mentor, a gold-winning netball champion, gifted the young royal a netball after she was declared a CBE for services to the sport.
"I mentioned that I had a netball for little Charlotte, I think it's so important that kids know what netball is and grow up with it," Geva Mentor said, via Hello! Magazine. The 35-year-old former England captain helped the national team to win bronze in the 2019 Netball World Cup. Last year, they also won a Commonwealth gold with the help of her teammates.
With her new netball, Princess Charlotte could follow in the footsteps of her mother, Kate Middleton, who is known as a sports lover. The Duchess of Cambridge used to excel at sport when she was still studying.
While Kate Middleton attended St. Andrew's School in Pangbourne, she was part of the hockey, swimming, and even netball teams. She also used to be a goal defense at the time.
By the looks of it, Princess Charlotte inherited her mom's ability. She is even said to be a "natural at tennis." A source also revealed that the Cambridges' only daughter and her big brother, Prince George, have regular tennis lessons at Hurlingham Club in Fulham in the south-west of London.
Princess Charlotte goes to Thomas' school in Battersea, where physical education is an integral part of the curriculum. Here, kids have to develop their coordination, control, and movement through a gym, games, and ballet with the help of a professional.
They also play netball here. However, it only happens when students move up through the school during the first term of the academic year. The girls, too, will have the chance to enjoy fixtures against other schools and inter-house tournaments.
Meanwhile, as Princess Charlotte shows interest in the outdoors, there is no doubt she gets it from her mother. When the mother-of-three talked about her childhood in the past, she revealed she loves spending time in the open air with her family, per Express.
This habit, undoubtedly, influenced her kids' upbringing as Princess Charlotte and Prince George also love to spend a lot of time in the fresh air. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's first and second born were even seen playing football in the palace gardens and riding their bikes without stabilizers.
Prince Louis, too, was out in the fresh air after he was seen with her mother feeding the ducks in Hyde Park. Kate Middleton previously revealed that she cherished "simple family moments" with her kids, like "playing outside together."
