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British RoyalsPrince & Princess of Wales

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to launch The King’s Cup Regatta

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge announced today that they will host the inaugural King’s Cup Regatta this August in support of eight of their charities.

The King’s Cup Regatta will take place on 9 August on the Isle of Wight, in Cowes. The event will be open to the public, with viewing points along the seafront and a grandstand at Cowes SailGP Race Village.

The sailing teams will race ‘Fast40+ Class’ race boats with a crew of 12 people. William and Kate will each skipper a boat. The race will take place in the Solent and will be organised by the Royal Yacht Squadron. The race’s presenting partner is Land Rover.

The winning team will be awarded The King’s Cup, a prestigious sailing trophy first presented by King George V at the Royal Yacht Squadron in 1920.

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“The Duke and Duchess are strong advocates for sport, and have undertaken work both in the UK and overseas to highlight the positive impact that sport can have on the individual and within local communities,” reads The King’s Cup official website.

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“Their Royal Highnesses hope that The King’s Cup will become an annual event, bringing greater awareness to the wider benefits of sport, whilst also raising support and funds for the causes that the Duke and Duchess support.”

William’s charities include Tusk, Centrepoint, Child Bereavement UK, and the London Air Ambulance 30th Anniversary Campaign.

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Kate’s charities include Action on Addiction, Place2Be, the Anna Freud National Centre for Children, and The Royal Foundation’s Early Years Initiative.

The race will be played on big screens throughout Cowes. The Regatta will also include “family-friendly activities and exhibits to promote sailing around the event, including initiatives and programmes for children and young people.”

The King’s Cup Regatta takes place just before Lendy Cowes Week, from 10-17 August, a sporting event that has taken place annually since 1826 and is one of the UK’s largest and longest-running sporting events.

William and Kate will officially launch The King’s Cup Regatta later today at the Cutty Sark, where they will be joined by children, young people, and charity representatives who benefit from their chosen charities’ work.

William and Kate will then take part in a sailing race simulation and unveil The King’s Cup.

About author

Jess Ilse is the Assistant Editor at Royal Central. She specialises in the British, Danish, Norwegian and Swedish Royal Families and has been following royalty since Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee. Jess has provided commentary for media outlets in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Jess works in communications and her debut novel THE MAJESTIC SISTERS will publish in Fall 2024.