The Royals & Equestrian Lifestyle

It was announced earlier this week that Prince William, the elder of two children of Prince Charles and late Lady (Princess) Diana Spencer, will wed Kate Middleton next Spring or Summer. The couple, Wills & Kate, have been dating on and off for about eight years. Prince William proposed to the beautiful Ms. Middleton with none other than his mother's engagement ring, the beautiful sapphire surrounded by 14 diamonds.



Besides the engagement and the wedding, I was interested to know if Ms. Middleton had an equestrian background. You are probably aware that the royal family is quite involved with equestrianism and most specifically polo. Would Ms. Middleton fit in with the royals' equestrian activities?

I have always adored the late Princess Diana. Her beauty, her fashion sense, her class. She looked tough and keen, but at the same time soft, approachable and lady-like. So first, I wanted to learn more about Diana's own equestrian involvement.

From Associated Content, from Yahoo, here is what they said in an article about the late Princess Diana; Princess Diana: 7 Intriguing Facts About the Late Princess of Wales and Horses

"Elegant equines and equestrian activities have been part of royal tradition for countless generations. From medieval jousting to modern polo matches, from festivities to funerals, and from coronations to contests,horses have played an important role in royal history.

How did the late Lady Diana, Princess of Wales (and first wife of British Prince Charles), feel about horses? Was the princess a willing participant in equestrian activities?

Here are seven intriguing facts about Lady Diana, the late Princess of Wales, and how she related to horses.

As a child, Princess Diana grew up around horses.

Lady Diana Francis Spencer grew up on a country estate, where she had her own pony. Her family had stables filled with equines and practiced both horseback riding and equestrian driving.



As a schoolgirl, Diana received an honorary award for caring for her pet guinea pig. The British schoolgirl became a kindergarten teacher in her late teen years before marrying 33-year-old British royal Prince Charles of Wales at age 19.

Princess Diana of Wales loved animals, but she hated horseback riding.

Although Prince Charles of Wales has been an avid polo player and fan, his first wife Diana did not share his passion for the ponies. In fact, she curtailed her equestrian pursuits as a teenager after suffering a nasty spill from the back of a horse.

Even so, Princess Diana did encourage her sons (Prince William and Prince Harry) to learn to ride and to enjoy horses.

For her own fitness and recreation, Princess Diana preferred aerobic exercises, roller skating, running, skiing, swimming and other sports pursuits over equestrian activities.




Despite her reluctance to mount up and ride a horse, either sidesaddle or astride, the 5'10" and photogenic Princess Diana was frequently photographed in equestrian carriages, particularly on official and high-society occasions for the British royals.

Of course, Lady Diana Spencer did not do the driving.

Lady Diana Spencer rode in a horse-drawn carriage to her wedding to Prince Charles."

And what about Kate Middleton, the future Princess?

Here is what HorseSmart had to say;

"Today, Prince William announced his engagement to Kate Middleton, with a Royal Wedding expected next year - and it's believed a shared passion for equestrian sports helped to bring the two together.

Ms Middleton is rumoured to share the Royal Family's enthusiasm for country sports, and has a particular fondness for polo - something which should give her plenty to talk about over the dinner table with her future father in law, Prince Charles, who plays the game regularly.

Once, when she was spotted watching a game of polo intently, the subject of Ms Middleton's interest in polo was brought up. She reportedly joked:
"I’ve got to pay attention to every second, I’ll be discussing the game in minute detail later on.”

However, interestingly, when it comes to riding, Prince William's wife-to-be is unlikely to be subject to a photo opportunity any time soon, as she is reportedly allergic to horses. However, she has been spotted several times at leading equestrian events such as the Badminton Horse Trials and Cheltenham Festival.

Middleton is also a keen fan of country pursuits, recently pictured in the newspapers hunting alongside her future relations - which some experts believe was a signal of an impending wedding announcement."

Ah, well. I guess we can't all get what we want! ;). Not all royals are going to enjoy the equestrian sports like Zara Phillips, for example.