The Prince of Wales handed out some awards from King Charles’ New Year Honours list on Wednesday

Prince William.Credit : princeandprincessofwales/Instagram

Prince William is back on investiture ceremony duty.

The Prince of Wales, 43, handed out awards to some of the people named on King Charles’ New Year Honours List, which was announced last month. The investiture ceremony was held on Wednesday, Jan. 14, at Windsor Castle, not far from where William resides with Kate Middleton and their three children.

The Prince and Princess of Wales’ official Instagram account shared video clips from the celebratory day, with the caption, “A new year of investitures is underway! Congratulations to everyone receiving awards today.”

Prince William’s group included Frank Rothwell, a businessman and the owner of the Oldham Athletic soccer team, as well as Dame Clare Barclay, the Chief Executive Officer of Microsoft U.K.

However, the honor he was likely most excited to hand out was to retired professional soccer player Millie Bright, who played for Chelsea and England’s women’s national team, the Lionesses.

The Prince of Wales is a well-known supporter of English soccer. In recent years, he and his daughter, Princess Charlotte, have been avid fans of the Lionesses, who were the runners-up in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

William and Charlotte were even in the stands to cheer on the team at the finals of the UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 in Switzerland last July, marking the young princess’s first overseas game. They were good luck, as the Lionesses went on to defeat Spain in penalty kicks to win the championship.

Prince William and Princess Charlotte at the UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 Final on July 27, 2025.Crystal Pix/MB Media/Getty

After serving as a team captain in 2023, Bright didn’t play in the 2025 tournament and, soon after, announced her retirement from professional soccer.

In the statement announcing her retirement, the defender spoke to the national pride she felt playing for England: “The reality of the last decade wearing the Three Lions has surpassed even my wildest dreams. It’s been beyond special for me, and I wish it could last forever.”

“For me personally, it’s a decision I have taken to ensure I can commit fully to my club football and give Chelsea everything they need from me,” Bright added. “I always want to leave an environment and team in a better place than I found it, so what better time to step aside and let the next generation of Lionesses come through after what they achieved this summer. I know they will go on to achieve even greater things in the years to come, and I’ll be their biggest fan.”

Citizens of the U.K. and British Overseas Territories are recognized for their accomplishments and services through a list of honours published twice a year by the Cabinet Office. Around 30 investiture ceremonies are held each year to present the honorees with their awards, hosted by a member of the royal family — and currently, the duty is shared by just three people: King Charles, Princess Anne and Prince William.

While King Charles has yet to host an investiture ceremony this year, as he is still in Scotland on a winter break, Princess Anne hosted the very first investiture ceremony of 2026 on Tuesday, Jan. 13, which included Greggs CEO Roisin Currie, Scottish broadcaster Jackie Bird, BBC journalist Martha Kearney and Rufus Norris, artistic director of the National Theatre.

She also presented to the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, Civil Division, to Shane Connolly, the florist who decorated Westminster Abbey for William and Kate’s April 2011 wedding day.

The Princess Royal has reportedly been critical of William in the past for not hosting more investitures. In a July 2025 profile in The Sunday Times, a source said that Anne wanted to see her nephew partake in more “bread-and-butter” royal duties, especially investitures, as he lives minutes from Windsor Castle.

“She’s still doing most of the investitures [at Windsor] even though William lives there. It annoys her,” the source said at the time.