NEED TO KNOW

  • Kate Middleton is hosting a reception for the England Women’s Rugby team at Windsor Castle
  • The event is celebrating the team’s World Cup win in September 2025
  • The Princess of Wales is the patron of the Rugby Football Union, and the event marked her first solo royal duty of the year

Kate Middleton is leading the way at her first solo royal engagement of 2026 with a celebratory reception at Windsor Castle.

On Jan. 15, the Princess of Wales, 44, hosted a reception at the royal family’s ancestral castle for England’s Women’s Rugby team following their World Cup win in September 2025.

Princess Kate is the patron of the Rugby Football Union, which governs the team, and she attended the squad’s Pool A match against Australia in September during their World Cup quest.

For the reception, Princess Kate wore a red pantsuit, likely chosen as a not-so-subtle nod to the team’s Red Roses nickname.

She was pictured receiving gifts, including a jersey signed by the team.

Kate Middleton hosts England women’s rugby team at Windsor Castle on Jan. 15, 2026.

Toby Shepheard / Kensington Palace

The Red Roses athletes and team staff took a tour of Windsor Castle, the largest and oldest occupied castle in the world, before joining Princess Kate to celebrate at the reception.

The players showed Kate the Rugby World Cup, and they all took a group photo together.

The Princess of Wales’ sporty reception marked her first solo royal duty of the year. She officially returned to work last week on Jan. 8, joining Prince William at Charing Cross Hospital in west London.

Kate Middleton hosts England women’s rugby team at Windsor Castle on Jan. 15, 2026.

Toby Shepheard / Kensington Palace

Princess Kate’s participation in the engagement was a surprise and she made the stop with her husband to highlight the work of NHS staff and volunteers responding to an increased demand for services during the winter months.

The Prince and Princess of Wales are joint patrons of NHS Charities Together, which works to support staff wellbeing and improve care for patients. During the engagement, Princess Kate made a rare, emotional revelation about her own treatment for cancer.

The royal opened up in conversation with a volunteer who worked with chemotherapy patients, after the volunteer shared how patients and visitors are there “for hours.”

“I know,” Princess Kate said, Hello! magazine reported. “We know,” she continued, touching Prince William’s arm. 

Kate Middleton hosts England women’s rugby team at Windsor Castle on Jan. 15, 2026.

Toby Shepheard / Kensington Palace

Can’t get enough of PEOPLE’s Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more! 

In January 2025, the Princess of Wales announced that she was in remission. The update came after she shared in March 2024 that she was undergoing treatment for cancer and said in September 2024 that she completed chemotherapy treatment. 

The Princess of Wales resumed a more regular schedule of royal work in 2025 and royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith recently told PEOPLE she is likely to maintain the pace this year. 

“Now that she has begun to turn a corner, they will be deploying her as much as they can,” Bedell Smith says.

“It’s important for them to be at the center of the action,” she added about William and Kate.

Kate Middleton hosts England women’s rugby team at Windsor Castle on Jan. 15, 2026.

Toby Shepheard / Kensington Palace

While Princess Kate was hosting the rugby team at Windsor Castle, Prince William, 43, had a solo engagement of his own on the same day. In his role as patron of We Are Farming Minds, which works to support farmers’ mental health, the royal heir visited a farm in western England, where he took on tasks like pruning apple trees and feeding sheep.