Prince William missed Paris Olympics 'to protect Kate from Covid', he tells swimmers in Gateshead

HRH Prince William missed the Paris Olympics as he was concerned about infecting his ill wife with Covid

The Prince of Wales told swimmers in Gateshead how he missed the Paris Olympics because he was scared of giving his wife Covid while she was having chemotherapy.

Prince William was speaking at the re-opened Birtley Community Pool, which has been supported by the charity he and his Princess Kate manage, the Royal Foundation of the Prince and Princess of Wales. This charity has announced a new partnership with the pool in orderl to provide swimming lessons and lifeguard training.

Prince William chatted to Olympic and Paralympic swimmers Adam Peaty, Tom Dean, Maisie Summers-Newton and Louise Fiddes. 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."

The Prince and Prince's foundation said it has been working closely with the pool to connect it with new partners to support their efforts to get back up and running following its enforced closure in 2023.

Speaking about swimming in general, Prince William added:"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."

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 the council in July 2023 due to a need to cut costs.

The prince heard how the community had come together to support efforts to reopen the pool through a crowdfunding campaign and that businesses and tradespeople gave their time to refurbish the facilities.

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."

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