Princess Charlotte takes up Kate Middleton's favourite sport after being inspired at the Commonwealth Games

Princess Charlotte has new sporty ambitions after her visit to the Commonwealth Games last week. The seven-year-old was previously a fan of netball, but expressed a desire to take up hockey just before England women's historic gold medal win on Sunday.

Last Tuesday the Princess made her first public appearance at the Commonwealth Games without her brothers, Prince George and Prince Louis. Accompanied by Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge, Charlotte witnessed a range of events and very quickly became inspired to take up one sport in particular, The Express reports.

At the National Exhibition Centre, the trio watched on as the England women's hockey team beat India 3-1 and made it out of the group stages undefeated. After watching the event, the young princess reportedly decided that she wanted to play hockey.

Ama Agbeze, a Commonwealth netball gold medallist, said: “Kate and William went with Princess Charlotte to the England hockey match. Charlotte was saying she wants to play hockey.

"When I’d met Kate before she’d said that she played netball so I said ‘she has to play netball, stop’. But it doesn’t matter as long as she plays sport, she can play every sport under the sun.

“It will be good if people take her lead. If Princess Charlotte is sitting there and thinking ‘I want to do this’, how many other children are watching and thinking that?”

Kate Middleton has always been a lover of sport and has played hockey since secondary school. In a previous interview she said: "Sport has been a huge part of my life, and I feel incredibly grateful for the opportunities I had to get outside and play."

The Duchess even practised with the British women’s hockey team during the 2012 Olympics. She now admits that her