Princess Charlotte, 11, inherits Kate's sporty side as she joins top-flight netball team

Published: 21:53, 15 August 2026 | Updated: 21:55, 15 August 2026 From captaining the hockey team during her time at Marlborough College to playing volleyball in wedges at a charity event, the Princess of Wales has long been one of the sportiest members of the Royal Family. And it seems that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, with Princess Charlotte well and truly following in her mother’s footsteps. For The Mail on Sunday can reveal that the young royal, who turned 11 in May, plays on an out-of-school netball team which competes at a high level all over the country. Far from getting the royal treatment, Charlotte and her family are likely to be doing the same as many parents: ferrying her around to every away match, pitching camping chairs on the sidelines and getting stuck in. ‘All of the parents of the girls on the opposing teams are wondering whether or not they’re going to run into William and Kate,’ a source said. ‘It’s all very hands on and it would be funny to see them in such a down-to-earth environment, doing the early starts and long drives that everyone else has to do.’ Princess Charlotte made her passion for netball clear earlier this month when she was spotted in the stands at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Sitting with her parents and brothers, Prince George, 13, and Prince Louis, eight, she enjoyed watching Australia take on Jamaica in the semi-final, as well as England’s match against New Zealand. The Princess of Wales watched the netball semi-final match during the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow earlier this month with her daughter Princess Charlotte, who plays to a high level The Princess of Wales playing netball with her husband in 2023. She has helped Princess Charlotte with shooting practice Kate pictured during her time in the under 11s netball team at St Andrew's school in 1992 Later, alongside her mother, 44, Charlotte posed for photos with the Scotland team – perhaps seeing a glimpse into her future. It seems she has been serious about netball for some time, with Kate revealing in 2023 that she had been helping Charlotte with shooting practice. The Princess of Wales made the comments as she showed off her netball skills at the SportsAid event at the Bisham Abbey National Sports Centre in Marlow, Buckinghamshire. After the event, England netball player Ama Agbeze, 43, revealed the royal had explained how she had played the game herself and that she was now showing Charlotte the ropes. Known for her sporty side, Kate took part in rugby drills during a visit to a club in Berkshire in 2023 ‘Kate has played netball before, she knows the sport,’ she said. ‘She said she had been teaching her daughter how to shoot in netball, but younger people have the net lower, so it’s actually very different – she’s still got it. ‘She was saying men go and have a kick about in football and that she misses netball because you have to deliberately go to a netball court.’ Kate was famously seen playing volleyball in five-inch Russell and Bromley wedges back in 2013 at an event for her SportsAid charity, not long after giving birth to Prince George. She has also played cricket in Pakistan, hit tennis balls with Emma Raducanu and played rugby at Twickenham.