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Prince William and Kate Middleton extend a touching message to Dancing With the Stars champion Robert Irwin

The Prince and Princess of Wales congratulated the Dancing with the Stars winner, Robert Irwin, and his partner Witney Carson for winning the mirrorball trophy.
posted by Rakshanda Noor Khan
Thursday 11/27/2025 at 11:29PM EST
  • Prince and Princess of Wales are the college batchmates of Dancing with the Stars winner Robert Irwin.
    Prince and Princess of Wales are the college batchmates of Dancing with the Stars winner Robert Irwin.

    Dancing with the Stars finale wrapped up with a second round of achievement on the mirrorball stage for the Irwin family.

    Robert Irwin won the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy exactly a decade after his sister Bindi Irwin had won in 2015 with partner Derek Hough.

    He has still not been able to cope with the happiness and overwhelm from achieving his dream, celebrating it with his friends and family.

    The 21-year-old posted a video of moments after he and Witney won the mirrorball trophy, after which they were lifted by other co-stars in the air, and later he was seen hugging his sister Bindi in an emotional moment as well on November 26, 2025, captioning it with,

    "Dreams do come true."

    The post's comment section was suddenly filled with congratulatory messages from fans, family, Dancing with the Stars fellows, and other well-wishers.

    However, the royal members also congratulated the couple.

    Prince William and Kate Middleton, who are Robert Irwin's friends and studied in the same college, through their official Instagram handle, "@princeandprincessofwales," commented on the post, writing:

    Congratulations Robert and Witney! ✨🪩

    Prince William and Irwin became friends through their environmental work, including Irwin’s role as an Earthshot Prize ambassador.

    William surprised him on Dancing With the Stars earlier this month by appearing on a video call when Robert missed the Earthshot Prize ceremony in Brazil.

    Prince William earlier made a surprise appearance on Dancing with the Stars season 34

    On November 11, 2025, the 43-year-old Prince of Wales surprised the animal conservationist with a call to wish him luck in the competition, even though he was across the world in Brazil for the annual Earthshot Prize ceremony. 

    Irwin, who serves as an Earthshot ambassador, was supposed to be with him at the event, but was busy with his commitments on Dancing With the Stars. 

    In the video message, William warmly told him,

    "We’re missing you, Robert." He added with a laugh, "Whilst your twinkle toes are going off elsewhere, I need you down here."

    Then, turning his attention to Irwin’s pro partner Witney Carson, the prince lightheartedly said,

    "You need to get him in as much glitter as you can." Irwin was visibly stunned. Carson, wide-eyed and thrilled, exclaimed, "I can’t believe he just said my name!"

    Prince William further wished the pair luck for winning, saying,

    "You guys have got a seriously good chance of winning it. So just the best of luck on the show."

    Ahead of the night of the Dancing With the Stars finale, Robert suffered a painful rib injury, but it could not prevent him from winning as they were crowned the winners of the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy on Tuesday, November 25, 2025.

    His hard work throughout the season paid off, and it was special and meaningful because the victory came almost exactly 10 years after Bindi’s own Mirrorball win, and for Robert, the achievement meant everything.

    "To follow in those footsteps and to do the same has meant everything to me," the Australian conservationist told People after the show’s finale. "This has absolutely changed my life."

    Robert further added that his sister’s win was special at the time because it shone a light on their conservation work, charity, and the Australia Zoo and Wildlife Warriors, noting:

    "It’s about making the world a better place. And when I watched her lift that Mirrorball, I saw her lifting that message."

    Robert and Witney were followed by Internet personality Alix Earle and her pro partner Val Chmerkovskiy, who finished second.

    Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa came third, Dylan Efron and Daniella Karagach came in fourth, and Elaine Hendrix and Alan Bersten finished in fifth place.

    Stay tuned for more updates.

    TOPICS: Dancing with the Stars, ABC, Dancing with the Stars season 34, Dancing With the Stars Robert Irwin, Dancing With the Stars Witney Carson, Robert Irwin, Witney Carson, Reality TV


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