Kate Middleton and Prince William appear in a surprise video for the Olympic Games

Kate Middleton and Prince William are supporting the Great Britain team from afar at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

William – sporting a striking new beard – and Kate, along with other notable British celebrities (as well as American rapper Snoop Dogg, who has been covering the Summer Games for NBC), took part in a video posted to their X account (formerly Twitter) on Sunday 11 August, ahead of the closing ceremony in Paris.

“From all of us watching at home, congratulations to Team GB!” said the Princess of Wales, wearing a casual white shirt with black stripes, in the clip.

“Congratulations on all you have achieved. You have been an inspiration to us all,” added the Prince of Wales, wearing a blue polo shirt with the Olympic rings.

“Well done @TeamGB, what an incredible journey! Every athlete has shown tremendous dedication, heart and passion. You have made us all so proud!” wrote Prince William and Princess Kate, both 42, in the text of the post. “We celebrate every triumph at @Paris2024 and look forward to more from @ParalympicsGB later in the summer.”

The post included a gold medal emoji as well as a British flag emoji. William and Kate’s three children – Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6 – did not appear in the video, but several British athletes and celebrities, including David Beckham, followed the royals in the video with their own messages of support.

There had been speculation that Kate and William could make a surprise appearance at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The couple have kept a low profile this summer, spending time privately with their three children. While their attendance remained uncertain, it was thought to depend on Princess Kate’s ongoing cancer treatment, as she had spoken of “good days and bad days”. Whether her children would accompany her to France was also unclear.

William’s beard look comes as he and Kate are off duty in August and have been on holiday with their children. The Prince of Wales is usually clean-shaven, as was the custom during his time in the Royal Air Force, where facial hair was banned. However, on Christmas Day 2008, he surprised fans with a more scruffy look, which he quickly shaved.

His late grandmother Queen Elizabeth was reportedly not a fan of facial hair and insisted that her husband, Prince Philip, shave off the beard he grew during his solo tour of the Commonwealth in 1965.

William and Kate are known for their athletic side and have passed on their passion for sport to their children.

The Prince of Wales has attended several football matches over the spring and summer, most recently attending the UEFA European Championship final in Germany with George on July 14. William – who was president of the Football Association, the governing body of English football, before recently moving into the role of patron – brought his eldest son to watch the England v Spain match. The shared excitement of father and son was palpable, and they hugged when England scored a goal. Meanwhile, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis watched the football final from home, as seen in a photo shared on social media.

Football is reportedly a source of joy for Prince William as both his wife Princess Kate and his father King Charles undergo cancer treatment.

“He has been hugely boosted by Aston Villa’s results,” a source close to the club previously told PEOPLE. “You can’t underestimate the importance of football in moments like this.”

July 14 was a sporty day for the family, as Princess Kate also attended the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, along with Princess Charlotte and her sister Pippa Middleton. The outing was the Princess of Wales’ second public appearance this year as she continues her cancer treatment, and she was greeted with a standing ovation at the stadium.

As patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, Princess Kate continued the tradition of presenting trophies to the winners after the finals.

The royal mother hinted at her family’s passion for tennis when she met Spanish men’s singles champion Carlos Alcaraz in the clubhouse afterward. “We’ve watched a lot on TV so it’s great to finally meet you,” Princess Kate said in a video shared by Wimbledon.

Prince Louis did not accompany the two outings, probably due to age reasons. Prince George and Princess Charlotte did not make their Wimbledon debut until they were 8 years old, suggesting their little brother may have to wait a little longer for a seat in the Royal Box.

Numerous members of royal families have appeared at the Paris Olympics in recent days, including Queen Mary and King Frederik of Denmark, Prince Albert and Princess Charlene of Monaco, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, and King Felipe and Queen Maxima of Spain.

Prince William’s aunt Princess Anne represented the British royal family in Paris. King Charles’ sister was the first member of the British royal family to compete in the Olympics when she competed in equestrian events at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. Since then, she has remained closely involved in international competition, including as a member of the International Olympic Committee since 1988.

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Princess Anne’s daughter, Zara Tindall, followed in her footsteps and competed in equestrian events for the British team at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

Several members of the royal family, including Prince William, Kate and Prince Harry, were in attendance to see Zara win a silver medal in the team competition, memorably receiving the award from her mother.