Prince William reveals he missed the Olympics in Paris for Kate Middleton’s sake — here’s why
Prince William has shared the sweet reason he didn’t attend the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris – and it’s all to do with his wife Kate Middleton’s health.?
Though William, 42, was rumored to be planning a trip to the games in support of Great Britain’s Olympic athletes (known as Team GB), he decided to forgo the journey because he feared contracting COVID and bringing it home to Kate, who was undergoing chemotherapy as she battled cancer.
While speaking with Team GB Olympians Tom Dean and Adam Peaty during a visit to a community pool in the English town of Birtley on Thursday, the Prince of Wales responded to a question from Dean about whether he attended any Olympic events.
Pointing to Peaty, who tested positive for COVID at the Summer Games, William replied, “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 added, “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.”
The father of three also shared that he and Princess Catherine “adore swimming,” and their eldest child, Prince George, has taken an interest in scuba diving.?
“George loves scuba diving,” William said. “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.”
William’s comments align with what one Palace source shared with The Post in the run-up to the Olympics. Asked whether the prince and princess would appear at the Games, the source suggested that a decision hadn’t been made yet.?
Though Will and Kate didn’t make it to the Paris Olympics, they praised Britain’s Olympians at the end of the games, calling on the help of Snoop Dogg and David Beckham, among others, to congratulate Team GB in an Instagram reel.
“From all of us watching at home, congratulations to Team GB,” Middleton, 42, said in the video.
“Well done on all you’ve achieved. You’ve been an inspiration to us all,” William added.
Prince William’s visit to the community pool in Birtley — meant to highlight his and his wife’s charitable work to increase public access to swimming facilities — came just one day after Kate shared a heartrending moment with a young woman battling cancer in one of her first public engagements since she completed her chemotherapy.
The Princess of Wales announced that she is “cancer free” on Sept. 9, saying in a video posted to her and William’s social media accounts, “I cannot tell you what a relief it is to have finally completed my chemotherapy treatment.”
“Doing what I can to stay cancer free is now my focus,” she continued. “Although I have finished chemotherapy, my path to healing and full recovery is long and I must continue to take each day as it comes.”
In March, Kate shared her cancer diagnosis with the world, ending months of speculation about why she hadn’t been seen in public since she underwent a “planned” abdominal surgery in January.
Middleton’s first official day back on the job as a senior working member of the royal family came on Sept. 17.
