Prince William had a busy day in Liverpool, making multiple stops while there — but didn’t miss an opportunity to make a cheeky remark about his youngest child, Prince Louis.
On Jan. 23, the Prince of Wales, 42, spent time with children from the Princes Primary School and English Martyrs Catholic Primary School, and during the visit was given three envelopes by the children, intended for William’s three children Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6, who he shares with wife Kate Middleton.
According to Hello!, each of the envelopes contained a £10 note and details of a “Smile Challenge,” where “the aim was to use the money to make someone smile without handing them the cash,” the outlet reported.
“This one will be a good one for Louis — he needs a good challenge,” William cheekily said after learning about the idea. “That’s very kind of you, thank you very much.”
He also promised to find a way to report back to the schoolchildren on how his own three children had completed the challenge, according to The Telegraph.
Also on Jan. 23, Prince William spoke with members of the Tiber Young People’s Steering Group, and while there, the future king played soccer — known in the U.K. as football — with young people. William is a diehard football fan, even traveling to Monaco earlier in the week to watch his favorite team, Aston Villa, play — but, according to The Daily Mail, the royal made a lighthearted joke about his football abilities while in the kickabout in Liverpool.
Asked about his involvement in the game, the prince said, “We’ll ignore that.”
“It is the worst thing when you turn up and try to play cold,” he added.
The Telegraph reported that William was open, but nobody passed him the ball in the soccer matchup, to which he joked, “I’m not going to go around side tackling, am I!”
Apparently, according to The Telegraph, the kids had been warned in advance about playing soccer with the future king by their coach, who joked, “Remember who you’re playing against — don’t go in too hard!” — and “they appeared to take the advice to heart,” the outlet reported.
“I was like, ‘Just pass me the ball!’ I was running around chasing them,” William said, humbly responding to praise for his efforts on the pitch with, “No, not at all!”
Speaking of the cold, locals braved the chill in the air in the Toxteth area of Liverpool to take photos with William and shake his hand, no doubt adding some warmth to the day.
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In addition to visiting with the Tiber Young People’s Steering Group to learn how they came together to lead the construction of a community building — which has seen over 200 young people become part of the project since its 2005 creation — and its adjoining Football Centre (which brings over 1,200 children and young people weekly), William also visited Cycle of Life, a nonprofit cycling organization that helps young people from diverse backgrounds not only improve their physical and mental health, but also boost their employment opportunities.
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