Prince William and Prince Harry were lashed by 40mph winds
and torrential rain as they played their traditional Christmas game of
football.
The soccer mad princes got soaking wet as they bravely
played on for a full 90 minutes with friends and staff from the Sandringham
estate.
See more pictures.
The Royal brothers who normally play on opposing sides in
the annual friendly match on Christmas Eve broke with tradition by playing for
the same team.
Their team, playing in yellow shirts with a single black
sleeve sponsored by the Black Horse Inn at Castle Rising, won 4-1 as around 200
spectators watched.
Neither prince got on the scoresheet, but both proved their
fitness and football skills in the match against a team wearing red and white
Castle Rising FC shirts.
The youngest player on the pitch, a 13-year-old boy who
lives locally, scored the first three goals for the prince's team.
William, 33, drove himself and Harry, 31, to and from the
game, around four miles from his home at Anmer Hall on the Sandringham estate.
The Duchess of Cambridge is believed to have stayed in the
warm at Anmer Hall with children George and Charlotte, making last minute
Christmas preparations.
Both princes ran out on to the
pitch in hooded grey tops and did stretching exercises before the kick-off to
ensure they did not pull any muscles.
William was wearing his favourite Aston Villa socks, orange boots and white England shorts while Harry was in black
shorts and black socks with green hoops.
Harry put his foot up on a wooden
fence to stretch his calf muscles while chatting to another player. William
then retrieved the ball from a paddock containing four horses behind the goal
during the warm up.
The princes were in the thick of
the action within seconds of kick off as high winds made playing conditions
difficult.
Harry who started off the match
as a forward in a number seven shirt landed up on his knees after being tackled
just two minutes into the match.
Five minutes later, William who
was playing in midfield in a number nine shirt passed the ball to his younger
brother who then set up his team's first shot on goal, only for the
effort to be fumbled by a team mate.
William made a series of runs
through midfield, often getting round a player, but then being blocked by
another. He also showed his flexibility by making a dramatic overhead
kick before helping to set up another shot on goal.
Harry also kicked the ball up the
pitch and chased after it, but failed to reach it before it was cleared by a
defender.
The 13-year-old boy headed the
first goal of the game in the 29th minute and made it 2-0 with a second goal
just a minute later.
The princes chatted with other players
as they sucked on orange segments and drank water from bottles at half time.
Four minutes into the second
half, William appeared to limp slightly after an opponent stood on his toe.
Harry also appeared to enjoy some
banter with the opposition goalkeeper before taking a free kick. A few minutes
later he went head over heels while being tackled, but got up quickly and shook
the hand of the player who brought him down.
The teenager completed his hat
trick with a goal 15 minutes into the second half, and the Royal team scored
again five minutes later, making it 4-0.
William made several runs down
the wing as he shifted into a forward position in the second half and the wind
intensified with the rain turning into driving sleet.
The prince had a chance to score,
but failed to get past a defender. Soon after the opposition team got a
consolation goal, making it 4-1.
The princes' team had a chance to
make it 5-1, but had a last minute penalty saved. William then had his best
scoring chance in the game in the final ten seconds, only to be tackled at the
last moment close to goal.
William missed the match last
year after hurting his ankle in an earlier game of soccer, leaving Harry to
play with James Middleton, the brother of the Duchess of Cambridge.
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