Princess Charlotte receives special gift after surprising Londoners on the tube – watch

Princess Charlotte is in for a treat – as Prince William returned home from a royal outing with a very special gift for his daughter on Tuesday. 

The Prince of Wales, 42, played a game of cricket with global stars on the Mall in front of Buckingham Palace – and was told he was a pretty "good batter", though his bowling "needed a bit of work".

He joined players including England test captain Joe Root, India’s former captain Sourav Ganguly, West Indies legend Brian Lara, England women’s captain Nat Sciver-Brunt, Harry Brook, England white-ball captain and radio host Greg James, for the "Cricket on the Mall" event, ahead of the Earthshot Prize awards in Mumbai next month.

After around 10 minutes of playing cricket, William did a short walkabout before being presented with a special cricket shirt for his daughter, Princess Charlotte, by Nat Sciver-Brunt.

The Prince beamed as he picked up the red and blue T20 shirt for the 2026/2027 season, complete with the embroidered Three Lions crest.

It's been a good week for William and Princess Catherine's daughter, as she also received a handwritten letter from a fan during his visit to Somerset last week. 

Princess Charlotte's love of cricket

Princess Charlotte will likely be delighted with the gift, as she's known to be a huge fan of cricket and plays on the school team at Lambrook in Berkshire.

The sporty royal was previously seen bowling on the beach during her birthday video earlier this year.

Writing for The Times, former England player Michael Atherton said the young princess had a "straight arm" and "nice run-up", making for "decent bowling action".

He added: "It's great to see a female royal who loves cricket."

King Charles recently upgraded the cricket pitch on his Sandringham estate in Norfolk, where the Waleses have their country home, Anmer Hall – perhaps with his beloved granddaughter in mind.

As well as cricket, Charlotte is also known to love gymnastics, ballet, football, and swimming. 

In August, it was revealed she also plays in an out-of-school netball team, so she's likely got her hands full with extracurricular activities!

Princess Catherine takes Charlotte on the tube

It comes after Charlotte and her mother, Princess Catherine, surprised Londoners with a very down-to-earth journey on the Underground.

The royal pair were spotted by a fellow commuter as they travelled on the Elizabeth Line through central London. 

A source told HELLO! that Charlotte looked "amazed" as she looked around the carriage, while being accompanied by security. 

The source said: "They spoke to members of the public sitting across from them. They had security with them, and Catherine held Charlotte's hand getting off at Tottenham Court Road. "The security didn't make it obvious they were there, and they tried to make it as 'normal' as possible.

"Catherine had her phone with her and was looking at her phone for a couple of minutes. They seemed very relaxed and were chatting together, smiling. It was a brief interaction with people opposite them, but they seemed very happy."