US Polo Association President: Princess Kate ‘is always a beacon of light’

The Princess of Wales goes to one polo match a year on average. Since Prince William became PoW, he only plays one polo match a year and it’s always for charity. Kate has skipped it a couple of times in the past four years. She did come out for this year’s match and she sat alone with a face like thunder as she watched her husband play. Well, the president of the US Polo Association is oddly full of compliments for Kate and William regarding their semi-annual polo appearances.

Kate Middleton may be watching from the sidelines at Prince William’s polo matches, but she still manages to stand out.

“She is always a beacon of light,” USPA Global President and CEO J. Michael Prince told PEOPLE of the Princess of Wales while speaking at the U.S. Polo Assn. Pacific Coast Open Final at the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club in Carpinteria, Calif., on Aug. 30.

Prince has spent time around the royal couple at William’s polo matches, including the annual Royal Charity Polo Cup, where Kate has regularly cheered on her husband over the years.

Kate, 44, was on hand for the 2026 DMMI Royal Charity Polo Cup in July, where William captained the U.S. Polo Assn. Team to victory for the second consecutive year. The Princess of Wales presented the trophy at the end of the match, sharing a celebratory kiss with her husband. The annual philanthropic event raised more than $1.3 million for 10 charities across the U.K. chosen by the Prince and Princess of Wales.

“She was able to make it, which we’re very grateful for,” Prince says. “It’s just a wonderful event of sport, community and philanthropy.”

Prince also praised William, 44, for having “a great tournament” and for his commitment to the charitable event.

“I think about how busy all our lives are, but I think about his life and how busy it is and all his commitments at the [royal] level, at the family level. He gets out on the horse, and he plays extremely well,” Prince says. “He’s a competitor. He’s passionate. He’s out there trying to give back to the community and do the right thing and lead his team to victory. He’s been an amazing partner in that regard. What amazes me about him is that I think he’s a wonderful human being and I feel like what you see in person is also the person you see on the field,” he says.

As for whether William’s children could eventually follow in his footsteps on the polo field, Prince says the royal isn’t ready to hang up his mallet just yet.

“Maybe someday he hands it off to the kids,” Prince tells PEOPLE. “But for right now, I think it feels like he’s very engaged.”

[From People]

Like… what are we doing? Prince Harry was the one who lived in America and played polo for charity for several years in the US. Harry is the one who knows a lot of USPA players. Why is the head of USPA lavishing praise on William and Kate right at this very moment? Like, sure, maybe William deserves credit (ish) for playing one charity match a year. But talking about Kate like she’s some kind of sainted figure for looking grumpy at the polo? This kind of overly-effusive-over-nothing praise keeps coming out for William and Kate. Is this emotional-support PR? Peg and Waity are feeling quite disturbed these days over the return of the Ginge, and so people are being sent out to publicly praise them?

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.