The 2024 Paris Olympics saw many royal families from around the world cheering on athletes from their respective countries. And while Princess Anne (and her trendy bucket hat) led the charge for the Brits, Prince William and Kate Middleton didn't make an in-person appearance at the most recent Olympics.
On Thursday, Oct. 3, the Prince of Wales told a group of British Olympic and Paralympic swimmers the real reason why he couldn't attend the games during an event at the newly reopened Birtley Community Pool in Tyne and Wear, England.
According to Hello!, athlete Tom Dean asked William if he'd been able to attend the Olympics while chatting with the royal and fellow swimmers Adam Peaty, Maisie Summer-Newton and Louise Fiddes.
"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 that "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.
The Princess of Wales announced on Sept. 9 that she had recently completed her chemotherapy treatment after being diagnosed with cancer earlier this year, so it's understandable that William was hesitant to travel abroad while she had a weakened immune system.
Although they weren't able to travel to Paris, William told the swimmers that his family "watched the whole thing" on TV, adding, "We were glued to it every day."
The Prince and Princess of Wales did release a special video (alongside Snoop Dogg, nonethless) to congratulate the British team after the summer games, with the royals joining a host of famous Brits to send messages to the athletes.
As for the rest of William's Thursday outing, he stressed the importance of swimming as a life skill, announcing a new partnership with The Royal Foundation of the Prince and Princess of Wales and the Birtley Community Pool. The initiative will enable more than 16,000 people to take part in swimming activities every month.
And while the prince and princess were forced to miss out on this summer's games, there's always the 2026 Winter Olympics.
