Prince William beats Duchess Kate in rowing competition in Germany

Samir Hussein/WireImage(HEIDELBERG, Germany) — Prince William won bragging rights Thursday in Heidelberg, Germany, as his crew boat defeated Duchess Kate’s boat in a race on the Neckar river.

William and Kate, both 35, faced off in the friendly competition on day four of their royal tour of Poland and Germany.

Boat one, led by William, just edged out boat two, led by Kate, in the race cheered on by big crowds along the river’s banks.

William and Kate each gave their respective teams a little encouragement. The crews all wore polo shirts for the race with the word “friendship” and the British and German flags

Kate, who is famously competitive, told her crew, “No pressure, but I do want to beat my husband,” and conceded she was fearful of “crashing.”

William admitted he had no idea what to do as the coxswain, or navigator, of the boat, saying, “This could be a challenge.”

The race, whose finish was celebrated by William, Kate and their crews with steins of Heidelberg beer, was the latest in a serious of fun, public face offs between William and Kate.

William won a race in dragon boats in Canada in 2011, while Kate won a race in America’s Cup yachts in Auckland Harbor in 2014. William and Kate both lost a sprinting race at Queen Elizabeth Park earlier this year to Prince Harry.

Kate’s sampling of local beer put to rest speculation the mother-of-two may be pregnant. At a stop in Poland earlier this week, Kate joked with William after receiving as a gift a stuffed bear that is said to soothe newborns.

Kate said to William with a laugh, “We’ll just have to make more babies.”

The crowd was overflowing in Heidelberg’s town square earlier Thursday, with many locals packed against adjacent windows to catch a fleeting glimpse of William and Kate, who visited the town without their children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte.

William and Kate once again doled out their famous hugs, and William even joked with a group of young boys about his muscles.

Kate giggled while watching William try his hand at rolling dough while the couple made pretzels at a stop in the town square. When William attempted to fold the dough into the traditional pretzel knot shape, Kate gave him a gentle pat on the back and clapped as the crowds cheered with approval.

William and Kate, who also tried their hand at candy-making, started their day paying a visit to the German Cancer Research Institute to learn about stem cell research.

Kate wore a lace yellow-gold damask dress by Jenny Peckham — one of her favorite designers — and wedge heels.

Kate is always very conscious of diplomatic dressing whenever she is abroad. When she touched down in Germany on Wednesday, she donned a Catherine Walker coat and dress in cornflower blue, the color of Germany’s national flower.

Kate’s red, off-shoulder gown at Wednesday’s garden party for Queen Elizabeth and Thursday’s creamy gold dress are a nod to the colors of the German flag.

Copyright © 2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.

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