LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM: Prince William recently revealed the reason he decided to skip the Paris Olympics opening event back in July.
Recently, the Prince of Wales had a candid chat with Olympic and Paralympic swimmers during an impromptu visit to a community pool in Birtley, north-east England, where he revealed that he skipped the grand ceremony to avoid the risk of bringing Covid home to his wife, Kate Middleton.
Prince William revealed that he did not want to contact Kate and jeopardize the Princess of Wales’ health who was undergoing chemotherapy during that time.
Prince William’s caring gesture to Kate Middleton
Prince William visited the community pool in Birtley, which had been previously closed due to council budget cuts. His visit is part of the Royal Foundation’s initiative to improve access to swimming and support community facilities.
He began his visit with an impromptu meeting, warmly engaging with the enthusiastic locals who had gathered to greet him, according to the Daily Mail.
The future king of England then went inside the building where he met with Paris 2024 Olympic winners Adam Peaty and Tom Dean and Paralympians Maisie Summers-Newton and Louise Fiddes.
As Dean asked the Prince, who is a patron of sports, whether he visited Paris during the Olympics, William revealed that he chose to skip the showcase event to protect his wife’s health, explaining that the family stayed glued to their television screen instead.
Dean, who won a gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics, asked the Prince, “Did you manage to get out there?”
William responded, “No, I was so keen to come but I have to say after reading someone’s interview about Covid [looking at Adam Peaty] I decided, because my wife was obviously having chemo, that I didn’t want to risk bringing Covid home, so Adam very kindly reminded me that that was still a thing!”
“But we watched the whole thing. We were glued to it every day,” he continued.
The community pool in Birtley is the royal’s latest effort to promote water sports among young people. The pool was reopened last month after a fundraiser raised $525,000.
The funds were raised through crowdfunding, contributions from the UK government, Sports England, and an undisclosed donation from the Royal Foundation of the Prince and Princess of Wales.
The prince also mentioned his wife and their son, Prince George, at other points during the outing.
He shared that his eldest son has inherited their love of water, stating, “Catherine and I both adore swimming. George loves scuba diving.”
He continued, “He was ten years old, we took him under, thinking he’d freak out, but he absolutely loved it. It’s just introduced him to the world of water.”
Kate Middleton announced the completion of her chemotherapy treatment
Earlier in September, Kensington Palace shared a heartwarming video marking the completion of Kate Middleton’s chemotherapy treatment, following her six-month public battle with cancer.
The message from the Princess of Wales stated, “As the summer comes to an end, I cannot tell you what a relief it is to have finally completed my chemotherapy treatment.”
She continued, “The last nine months have been incredibly tough for us as a family. Life as you know it can change in an instant and we have had to find a way to navigate the stormy waters and road unknown.”
A message from Catherine, The Princess of Wales
As the summer comes to an end, I cannot tell you what a relief it is to have finally completed my chemotherapy treatment.
The last nine months have been incredibly tough for us as a family. Life as you know it can change in an… pic.twitter.com/9S1W8sDHUL
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) September 9, 2024
“The cancer journey is complex, scary and unpredictable for everyone, especially those closest to you,” she added.
In another part of her message, Kate said, “This time has above all reminded William and me to reflect and be grateful for the simple yet important things in life, which so many of us often take for granted. Of simply loving and being loved.”
She further said, “William and I are so grateful for the support we have received and have drawn great strength from all those who are helping us at this time. Everyone’s kindness, empathy and compassion has been truly humbling.”
