Prince William offered a brief and kind reply when inquired about Princess Kate during his recent visit to Saudi Arabia. Concluding his three-day trip to the gulf state, the Prince of Wales received an official send-off on a purple carpet from Salman Bin Sultan, the governor of Madinah, before boarding an RAF plane to return home.
While on the trip, William engaged in a youth football training session to learn about initiatives promoting female involvement in the sport. A young girl asked him if Princess Kate accompanied him, to which William sympathetically responded, “No, she’s not here, sadly,” eliciting disappointment from the group. In another interaction at the MISK Sports City in Riyadh, a child asked William about his favorite football team, to which he mentioned Aston Villa. The group shared their team preferences, revealing an Arsenal fan among them.
Saudi Arabia eased restrictions on female sports participation in 2018, allowing women to attend stadium events, join school leagues, and engage in competitive sports. On his final day, William explored the Sharaan Nature Reserve in Alula province with Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan Al Saud. They discussed conservation efforts to reintroduce native wildlife like the Arabian leopard and admired the stunning landscape featuring the unique Dancing Rocks formation.
Despite being late for an event in Alula due to an extended lunch with Prince Badr, William enjoyed touring the old town with the Saudi minister for culture, drawing a large crowd of locals and tourists. Before departing on an RAF jet, William expressed his anticipation of returning soon to Prince Salman, the Governor of Madinah.
