The Prince of Wales has told some of Britain’s top medal-winning swimmers how Covid fears for his wife stopped him going to the Paris Olympics, but his family was glued to the action.
William met 2024 Olympians Adam Peaty and Tom Dean, and Paralympians Maisie Summers-Newton and Louise Fiddes, as he visited at Birtley Community Pool in Gateshead on Thursday.
Apparently referring to Peaty’s positive Covid test during the Olympics, he said: “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.
“So Adam very kindly reminded me that was still a thing. But we watched the whole thing. We were glued to it every day.”
William was at the centre – which reopened in September after the community came together following its closure last year – to promote swimming.
He told the four athletes that he and the Princess of Wales “adored” swimming and that his son George had taken up scuba diving.
He said: “Catherine and I both adore swimming.
“George loves scuba diving. He’s 10 years old. We took him under thinking he would freak out. He absolutely loves it.
“It’s just introducing him to the world of water.”
Referring to the pool, he said: “We want to replicate this across the country because swimming is such an important part of life.
“We’re an island nation, we should all have access to learn how to swim.”
Dean attended the event after his recent exit from the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing, and he said William and Kate thought him being voted off was “robbery”.
After the visit, the swimmer said: “He (William) doesn’t watch it but his wife’s a big fan.
“Robbery was the word he used. Very, very kind of him but it does give me a lot more free time to do stuff like this.”
Aston Villa fan William was congratulated on his team’s Champions League victory over Bayern Munich as he went for a walkabout in the sunshine as he arrived at the event.
As he posed for dozens of selfies, he told well-wishers he and his sons shouted themselves hoarse at the match, and he had lost his voice.
William toured the centre, watching swimming lesson and lifeguard training, and was told how one in three children in the UK leaves primary education unable to swim.
The pool opened in 1974 but was closed by Gateshead Council in July 2023 due to costs.
Today's newly announced partnership with The Royal Foundation will help Birtley Community Pool to deliver swimming lessons and lifeguard training for the local community.
An essential life skill that young people in the area can once again learn and develop 🏊♀️🏊♂️ pic.twitter.com/Op8eB52yka
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) October 3, 2024
The prince was told that the community came together to support efforts to reopen the pool through a crowdfunding campaign and that businesses and tradespeople gave their time to refurbish the facilities.
On Thursday, the Royal Foundation of the Prince and Princess of Wales announced a new partnership with Birtley Community Pool to provide swimming lessons and lifeguard training.
The foundation said it has been working closely with the centre to connect it with new partners to support their efforts to get back up and running.
The organisation said its Community Impact Programme has partly funded the refurbishment, helped young people to make use of the facilities with a bursary, and established another bursary for teenagers to train as lifeguards.
In a speech at the event, William said: “The next generation needs to know that swimming is important.
“It can save your life, it’s a great skill, it’s fun, it gives you health, there are social reasons, it is good for people who are isolated.
“All these things are really important and why we need community swimming pools to remain, and come back to life again.”
He praised Yvonne Probert, the chair of Birtley Community Pool, saying people like her were the “glue in the community”
He said: “It’s people like you, Yvonne, that get things done.
“Without your leadership, without your partnership, your bringing together, your drive, none of this would have happened at all – you and your team.
“What I see up and down the country is that without a local leader in a community, nothing gets done.”
Ms Probert said: “We’re grateful for the support the Royal Foundation is providing as we open.
“Their funding and their work behind the scenes to connect us with the national swimming sector and those keen to support initiatives like ours has meant we are able to invest in swimming lessons, lifeguard training and initiatives that ensure our newly opened pool is truly inclusive for thousands of children and young people locally.”
