Prince Edward and Sophie show off their badminton skills in a sport-filled day for the royals

Prince Edward and Sophie show off their badminton skills in a sport-filled day for the royals

Watch: Lee Cohen talks about Prince Edward having his 'father's charm'

GB News
Hannah Ross

By Hannah Ross


Published: 14/03/2024

- 18:07

Updated: 14/03/2024

- 18:08

The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh played with England players in Birmingham

Prince Edward and Sophie showed off their badminton skills during a sport-filled day for the Royal Family.

The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh travelled to Birmingham for the All England Open Badminton Championships.


During their visit to the club, the pair were pictured picking up rackets and showing off some of their best shots on the court.

As patron of The Tennis & Rackets Association, Prince Edward was not afraid to get stuck into a match alongside England badminton players.

Prince Edward and Sophie

Prince Edward and Sophie played badminton in Birmingham today

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It comes as Prince William took part in a basketball match today at a youth centre in West London.

Several other members of the Royal Family also chose to watch rather than participate in sports as Zara Tindall and Princess Beatrice attended Cheltenham racecourse today.

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, swapped her usual knee-high boots for some trendy white trainers for the appearance.

She also wore checked red and black trousers paired with a simple black t-shirt and open blazer.

Sophie

The Duchess of Edinburgh prepares to hit the shuttle

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The duchess wore her hair down with a simple pair of leaf-detailed earrings and a silver pendant necklace.

Prince Edward took to the court looking dressed up for the occasion in a suit and tie with brown, suede shoes.

After watching a quarter-final match, Edward and Sophie were invited to the courts to compete against the Team GB Para badminton squad.

The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh arrived at the club on Day 3 of the YONEX All England Open Badminton Championships to celebrate 125 years of the prestigious tournament.

Prince Edward

Prince Edward and Sophie attended the All England Open Badminton Championships

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Before watching the match in the arena, the couple looked at a number of artifacts from a badminton exhibition at the venue.

Sophie and Edward both have a keen interest in sports and support several official sporting organisations.

On the Royal Family website, it states that the duchess “enthusiastically supports a collection of the UK’s national teams and sports bodies as Patron, including England Hockey, the British Bobsleigh & Skeleton Association, the British Cycling Federation, and the UK Armed Forces Winter Sports Association.”

Meanwhile, Prince Edward is a Patron of the British Paralympic Association, GB Snowsport, Badminton Scotland, The Tennis & Rackets Association, and President of the Sport & Recreation Alliance.

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Duchess of Edinburgh

The duchess supports a collection of the UK’s national teams and sports bodies

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Following the event, Sue Story, Chief Executive of Badminton England said: “I was honoured to meet Their Royal Highnesses at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham back in 2022.

“And it was our privilege to invite The Duke and Duchess back to this fabulous city to witness the 125th anniversary year of the YONEX All England Open Badminton Championships.

“We are so proud to have hosted them today and shared the passion of our amazing sport with their Royal Highnesses and guests who had a wonderful time watching and we are delighted they have been able to experience this amazing event as our guests.”

During the event, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh also presented two volunteers, Ms Yvonne Fox and Ms Carol Webb with long-service awards.

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