One fancies a spar! Prince William meets ‘really impressive’ female amateur boxer during a visit to a youth charity in Swindon
Prince William met with amateur boxers at a charity in Swindon this afternoon but did not step into the ring.
The Prince of Wales, 41, toured Swindon-based charity BEST – Be A Better You, which was founded in 2020 by local father Don Bryden after his daughter was exposed to criminal exploitation.
Don founded the charity to provide a positive experience for young people facing various social, emotional and mental health barriers, helping them take the necessary steps to live successful lives.
During the visit he met Don’s daughter Jess, to hear about her personal story and how the charity has helped her change her life.
He chatted to Jess, who demonstrated a sparring session – and although he didn’t put the gloves on himself, the Prince of Wales said her work was ‘really impressive’.
The Prince of Wales described a women’s aspirations program run by a youth charity in Swindon as ‘really impressive’ during a visit this afternoon
Elsewhere during the visit, William chatted with young people who, like Jess, have been supported by BEST.
Finally, the Royal Family heard from volunteers and staff about the programs they run at the charity and the positive impact this has on children in the local community.
On Thursday, the Prince and Princes of Wales welcomed Apple’s CEO Tim Cook to Windsor Castle to discuss “the environment, mental health and other issues.”
Cook, who took over as boss of the tech giant in 2011 when founder Steve Jobs resigned, today posted two photos of the meeting on X, formerly Twitter.
During his visit, the Prince of Wales met young people helped by the charity, plus staff and volunteers
Prince William said Jess was ‘impressive’ when he met her at the charity center in Swindon
Jess took part in a sparring session to show how she has benefited from the charity’s one-to-one coaching programs
The Prince of Wales posed for selfies during a visit to the charity which provides mental health care for young people
The Prince of Wales happily posed for photos with a volunteer at the charity, based in Swindon
When she met Jess, a young female boxer helped by the charity, Prince William said she was ‘very impressive’
Team photo! William was instantly at the center of the BEST – Be a Better You staff and volunteers
The charity was founded in 2020 by Don Bryden (right) after his daughter was exposed to criminal exploitation
The businessman, 62, stood proudly next to Prince William and Kate, both 41, in one of the images, while the princess looked dapper in a £549 navy Holland Cooper pinstripe blazer and a cream turtleneck.
‘It was a real honor to meet the Prince and Princess of Wales. We had a wonderful and wide-ranging discussion about the environment, mental health and other issues that mean a lot to us all,” Cook wrote in his post.
William, wearing a navy blue suit with a light blue shirt, appeared deep in conversation with the CEO in another photo from their meeting. Two bags that appeared to have the Apple logo printed on them were also spotted in no time.
William previously collaborated with Apple Fitness+ to record an episode of Time to Walk in December 2021.
Palace aides said it was William’s idea to take part in the series after hearing previous episodes. Other guests included country singer Dolly Parton, model Naomi Campbell and boxer Anthony Joshua.
For the episode, Apple made a six-figure donation to three charities chosen by William: Shout in the UK, Crisis Text Line in the US and Lifeline in Australia. They all offer confidential mental health helplines. The British charity operates a free text message service on 85258.
The series is designed to encourage Apple Watch users to get outside and walk while they listen. At William’s request, his episode was made available online to everyone for free, without the need for a subscription.
Today’s outing comes after it was reported that the Princess of Wales will not attend Prince William’s Earthshot Awards, in what has been called a ‘huge blow’ to organizers.
Kate will reportedly not travel to Singapore with her husband in November and will instead stay home with Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, eight, and Prince Louis, five.
It is believed that the royal family does not want to disrupt the children’s education during the school period and is instead working towards a “stable family life in preparation for their royal careers”, according to the Mirror.
The mother of three attended the previous two Earthshot Awards in Boston and London.
MailOnline has contacted Kensington Palace for comment.
Prince William founded the awards in 2020, saying he wanted to “turn the current pessimism around environmental issues into optimism by celebrating the people and places driving change.”
Every year between 2021 and 2030, an awards ceremony will honor winners in the award’s five categories who create innovations that address environmental problems. Each winner will receive £1 million to support and scale their work.