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Last Updated On: May 03, 2025 11:12 AM , Published On: Oct 04, 2024 11:57 AM
Several royal families from throughout the world supported their national athletes at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. And although Princess Anne spearheaded the British effort, Prince William and Kate Middleton were absent from the most recent Olympics.
During an occasion on Thursday, October 3, at the recently renovated Birtley Community Pool in Tyne and Wear, England, the Prince of Wales revealed to a group of British Olympic and Paralympic swimmers the true reason why he was unable to join the games.
Prince William Statement
"Did you manage to get out [to Paris]?" Tom Dean, a British Olympian, asked the Prince when they were visiting Birtley Community Pool in Tyne and Wear.
"No, I was so keen to come, but I have to say after reading someone's interview about COVID, I decided - because my wife was obviously having chemo - that I didn't want to risk bringing COVID home," the Prince of Wales replied.
He added, "Adam very kindly reminded me that that was still a thing!" referring to Peaty coming down with COVID and being forced to isolate after winning a silver medal in Paris.
William speaking about Swimming:
"Catherine and I both adore swimming," Prince William added. "George loves scuba diving. He was 10 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."
William Special Video
After receiving a cancer diagnosis earlier this year, the Princess of Wales announced on September 9 that she had finished her chemotherapy treatment. Given her compromised immune system, William hesitancy to travel overseas makes sense.
In spite of their inability to visit Paris, William informed the swimmers that his family "watched the entire event" on television, stating, "We were glued to it every day."
After the summer games, the Prince and Princess of Wales did, in fact, make a special video in which they congratulated the British team and joined a number of other well-known Brits in sending messages to the athletes.
William’s Swimming Program
William went to the local pool in the northeast of England in order to point out how important it is to have access to swimming facilities.
William's visit today coincided with the Royal Foundation of the Prince and Princess of Wales announcing a new monthly swimming program, which will benefit over 16,000 individuals through a partnership with the Birtley Community Pool.
"In the past six months, The Royal Foundation has been collaborating behind the scenes with Birtley Community Pool, using its ability to bring people together to form connections with new partners and support their remarkable efforts to restore their local pool to operation," the Foundation said in a statement released today.