Will Kate Middleton take over a top role from King Charles? Royal family must decide

Kate Middleton could step into the royal shoes of her father-in-law King Charles III soon at sailing, senior figures of The Royal Thames Yacht Club speculate. The Knightsbridge-based club has welcomed several prominent patrons over the years, including  Lord Mountbatten and Prince Philip.

In 2021, Prince Andrew, the Duke of York was forced to step down from the role of commodore due to his scandal involving Jeffrey Epstein. This prompted the entry of King Charles into the picture. But it seems as if the monarch might be handing over the title to the Princess of Wales in the near future. 

According to The Daily Mail, the yacht club organised an event titled 'Women Who Rock the Boat', an initiative to encourage women to try their hands at sailing. A senior member of the club suggested that Middleton would become a “great role model” if she took over the role, given her sailing record.

The 41-year-old appears to have a certain liking for the sport. She became a part of the Team GB sailing group last year in Plymouth in a competition against New Zealand. In 2019, she was spotted accompanying her husband, Prince William, and children to the charity's King’s Cup regatta event on the Isle of Wight.

Will Princess Kate take up sailing duties?

But the prospect of the Princess joining the Royal Thames Yacht Club is still in its initial stages. After all, it will require the following of all necessary royal protocols. “The trouble is, royal protocol dictates that it's up to her and the Royal Family to make the first move,” the anonymous club member said. 

This means that Buckingham Palace would need to reach out to the club to discuss the princess' potential stint. The report comes as yacht clubs around the United Kingdom endorse gender representation and break sailing's stereotypical image of being a male-dominated sport. In 2019, Royal Cinque Ports Yacht Club, the UK's oldest royal yacht club, elected its first female commodore. Just two years later, Sarah Hancock was appointed as the first female commodore of the Royal Cornwall Yacht Club.