Prince William is the football-mad royal of the family and it was widely assumed that his wife Kate supported the same team as him – Aston Villa. However during an engagement with a children's charity on Tuesday morning, the Duchess of Cambridge revealed that she is actually a Chelsea fan.
Kate was joining youngsters at the Anna Freud Centre Christmas party when she bonded with one little boy, Rjay Bryan, over their support for the same struggling team.
"We high fived because she supports Chelsea and I support Chelsea," said the eight-year-old. "I love people who support Chelsea."
© Photo: Getty ImagesKate's husband Prince William is an avid Aston Villa fan
Kate's uncle Gary Goldsmith is also a keen Chelsea fan.
Like the other children at the Christmas party, Rjay and his family are supported by the Anna Freud Centre. The London-based charity helps children with serious emotional and behavioural issues and their Family School provides an alternative education route.
Rjay, who was excluded from primary school at the age of six, will return to mainstream school after a successful few years at the Centre's Family School.
© Photo: Getty Images"We high fived because she supports Chelsea and I support Chelsea," said Rjay Bryan
Kate's visit reflected her interest in child mental health and the need to intervene and support children from a young age.
During her engagement Prince George and Princess Charlotte's mum tried her hand at drumming, getting down to the beat of We Will Rock You. Kate spent about 15 minutes drumming and while she was unable to hold the drum properly between her legs, because of her form-fitting Alexander McQueen number, Kate still managed to impress.
"She had such good rhythm," said Jude Winwood who was leading the session. "She was thrown in at the deep end but I gave her a few clues, hand signals. She knew what was required of her."
© Photo: Getty ImagesKate was given a basket of chocolates and a necklace with a drum on the end
Kate showed her maternal side, hugging children and chatting to them and getting stuck into their arts and crafts session, which involved putting together a Christmas collage on a wall.
Before leaving, Kate joined the children and parents in singing We Wish You A Merry Christmas. She was given a basket of chocolates from the youngsters, and her new friend Rjay presented her with a necklace with a drum on the end.
© Photo: Getty ImagesKate looked festive in a red Alexander McQueen dress
Kate last carried out an engagement with the Anna Freud Centre in September – her first since returning from maternity leave after welcoming Princess Charlotte.
"She makes a very special contact with kids," said Peter Fonagy, chief executive of the Centre. "They all think she's fantastic, she's their Princess. And they all wanted to give her a hug.
"She is not just the only royal but is the only celebrity who does anything about children's mental health. It is not a popular cause. If it was, there would be a queue of them outside.
"She's courageous. It's much easier to pretend that children do not have mental health problems and they're all happy. She's there representing their interests and the call on all of us to do something about it."
