The Prince and Princess of Wales will attend separate Women's Rugby World Cup matches on Saturday afternoon. William heads to Sandy Park stadium in Exeter for the Wales versus Fiji game, while Kate will watch England take on Australia at Brighton & Hove Albion Stadium.
The separate attendance reflects their respective royal patronages. William serves as patron of the Welsh Rugby Union, whilst Kate holds the same position with the Rugby Football Union.
Royal mourning begins
The royal couple's sporting engagements come as the royal family enters a period of mourning following the death of the Duchess of Kent. Katharine, wife of the late Queen's cousin the Duke of Kent, died peacefully at home surrounded by close family on Thursday night.
On Friday, William and Kate paid a personal tribute to the duchess. Union flags were lowered to half-mast at Buckingham Palace and royal residences across the country where the monarch is not in residence.
Formal mourning period
A formal framed notice announcing the duchess's death was placed on the palace railings shortly after midday on Friday. The King has approved a period of Royal Mourning until and including the day of the duchess's funeral, with the date to be announced in due course.
Sources used: "PA Media" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
