Prince William isn’t the first man to try to get out of spending time with his in-laws, and he certainly won’t be the last. But in his case, it sounds like he has a rather specific reason for not wanting to spend more time with Kate Middleton‘s family than necessary: their competitiveness. Apparently, Will just can’t take it anymore, despite his family having a competitive streak of its own.
Kate’s parents reportedly taught their children that winning is ‘everything.’
According to what royal expert Christopher Andersen told Fox News, things get so bad that Will tries to avoid game nights with Mike and Carole Middleton — and Kate’s siblings, James and Pippa — altogether.
“William and Kate’s card games are so heated and all-consuming that William makes excuses to avoid being sucked in,” he said. “But away from his win-at-all-costs Middleton in-laws, William has never shied away from going up against Kate in a contest.”
James mentioned Will skipping out on games in his recent memoir, ‘Meet Ella.’
In the book, he wrote that his brother-in-law would use James’ dog, Ella, as a “good excuse to escape the fiercely competitive nature” of Kate’s family, especially when they would play a game called Racing Demon.
“William flinches at our ruthless determination to win at all costs,” James wrote. “He’s delighted to be the first out, and when no longer compelled to take part, he slinks off to cuddle Ella. I think he’d prefer to absent himself from the game entirely. ‘James, does Ella need a walk?’ he asks before we’ve even started dealing the cards. My sisters and I exchange a knowing glance: William, for all the competitive rigor of his military training, is happy to be a loser at cards.”
William comes from a pretty competitive family himself — especially when it comes to his late grandmother.
“Competition runs in the royal blood. No one enjoyed a spirited contest more than the late Queen Elizabeth II, whether she was cheering on her horse at Ascot or watching a tug of war at the Highland Games,” Christopher told Fox News.
The other senior royals are in it to win it, too.
“Prince Philip was a world champion four-in-hand carriage driver and Princess Anne competed in equestrian events at the Olympics,” Christopher added. “And King Charles was such a passionate polo player he suffered countless injuries in the process.”
Not Will, though — it sounds like he’d rather stay out of the running!
Here’s hoping Will escapes this holiday season unscathed.
With rumors that Will and Kate will have more of a say-so in how they spend their Christmas this year, there’s a good chance they’ll get in plenty of time with the Middletons. Maybe there will be a dog around who Will can focus on instead of playing when they start getting out the cards?
