The Prince and Princess of Wales are ‘very competitive’ with each other because they both love sport, a royal photographer has said.
Samir Hussein, who has taken hundreds of photos of the royal family for more than a decade, including royal weddings and tours, said the couple “have fought a lot over the years.”
Speak with American weekly, he explained, “They are definitely very competitive. They are both very sporty’
“They’ve competed many times over the years, whether it’s boat races or even sprint races… and they’re always very competitive.”
He added: “It’s always fun when you see that because you see the humor come out and you see their competitive side come out.”
The Prince and Princess of Wales are ‘very competitive’ with each other because they both love sport, a royal photographer said (pictured taking part in a race during a training day for the Heads Together team in 2017)
Samir, whose father Anwar Hussein is also a royal photographer, said his “standout” memory was during the royal trip to India and Bhutan in 2016.
‘William and Kate tried a bit of archery and they both looked great.
‘Kate was wearing traditional clothing and when it was her turn I moved around a bit to stand directly opposite where she was shooting. She fired the arrow and for a moment it looked like it was coming straight at me.”
He added that he ran ‘out of the way’ but managed to pick up his camera ‘just in time’ to capture Kate ‘laughing’.
The Prince and Princess of Wales talked about their competitive reputation on Mike Tindall’s podcast, The Good, The Bad and the Rugby, last year.
Kate and Prince William went head-to-head on exercise bikes during a visit to South Wales
The Princess of Wales was crowned the winner with a trophy despite wearing a skirt and heels
The couple was compared to the competitive sitcom character Monica Geller from Friends.
William, along with an animated Kate and Princess Anne, joined former England rugby player Mike Tindall, who is married to Zara, the Princess Royal’s daughter – and William’s cousin.
“I’m not going to lie… but Mike has discovered that you’re both super, super competitive, kind of like Monica from Friends, and when you guys play table tennis, it goes on for hours, and like, double up or quit,” James Haskell asked.
“I’m really not that competitive, I don’t know where this came from,” Kate replied.
She then joked that she and William have never managed to finish a game of tennis, and giggled as she explained that “it’s going to be a mental challenge between the two of us.”
Samir, whose father Anwar Hussein is also a royal photographer, said his “standout” memory was during the royal trip to India and Bhutan in 2016
Samir explained that Kate was wearing traditional clothing and he walked around to stand directly across from where she was shooting to get this shot
Mike then asked if the couple’s three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, are showing signs of competitiveness.
Princess Anne intervened and said: “Just a little bit, I would suggest.”
Kate revealed: ‘What’s interesting is that they’re all clear [have] very different temperaments.
“And as they grow and try different sports – they’re obviously still very young – it’s going to be interesting to see how that grows and develops.”
Earlier in the podcast, William had talked about how important sports are for children, especially when it comes to learning about winning and losing.
Speaking about the skills you pick up during ‘those early years of team sport’, he said: ‘Learning to lose is something I think we need to focus on more these days.
William takes home the gold: William and Kate competed in hockey in Sweden in 2018
Kate, who was a keen hockey player at school, had a good attitude but unfortunately missed two of her three shots
“I don’t think people know how to lose well. When we talk about our children in particular, I want to make sure they understand that.
“I think it’s really important to understand from a young age how to lose, and why we lose, and grow from that and what you learn from that process.
‘But also to win well, and not to brag. There are so many life lessons that help us throughout life, in building friendships, in building relationships, in the workplace, that you learn from those early years of team sports.”
He also spoke about enjoying his cousin Zara’s sporting success and revealed that the only time he has ever cried was when he watched the now 42-year-old win the European Championship in 2006.
William said: “I was camping in Exmoor at the time. We were all on the phone watching it. She was there, she bluffed, the flag went up. I was in pieces.’