From dazzling names like Tom Cruise and Charlize Theron to legendary sports figures such as Shaun White, Michael Phelps, and Serena Williams, the Paris Olympics was buzzing with star power. Yet, amidst this glittering gathering, there was one notable absence that caught attention. It was none other than Prince William, the Prince of Wales himself, who had every intention of being there but ultimately couldn’t make it.

Recently, Prince William met with Olympic stars like Tom Dean and Adam Peaty at the Birtley Community Pool, a beloved local spot that had faced closure last year because of funding challenges from Gateshead Council. Thanks to a united community effort, it joyfully reopened its doors in September. During this inspiring partnership announcement between the leisure center and the foundation led by the Prince and Princess of Wales, Prince William revealed the heartfelt reason for his absence from the Paris Olympics.

Why didn’t Prince William attend the Paris Olympics?

While chatting with Olympians Tom Dean and Adam Peaty, who both faced the challenge of testing positive for Covid during the games, Prince Williams revealed a little splash of royal life. With a warm smile, he shared that his family, too, has a deep love for the water, mentioning how his son Prince George has freshly taken the plunge into the world of scuba diving. But he still couldn’t attend the Games at the French capital. Why?

Well, Prince William recently revealed while pointing to Adam Peaty, how he really wanted to be there but had to rethink things after reading about Peaty’s positive Covid test. With his wife going through chemo, he didn’t want to risk bringing anything home. He said, “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. So Adam very kindly reminded me that that was still a thing!” 

Adam Peaty tested positive for Covid just a day after clinching a silver medal for Team GB in the thrilling 100m breaststroke at the Paris Olympics. He narrowly missed snagging a third consecutive gold by a mere 0.02 seconds on 28 July 2024 and later admitted to feeling a bit under the weather, noting,

“a little bit on my throat.” To add more heartache, in a candid moment, he hinted at retirement, leaving fans wondering about what the future holds for this incredible athlete.

Adam Peaty’s post-Olympic thoughts

Adam Peaty jumped into the waters of the Paris La Defense Arena with high hopes, but the 100m breaststroke race turned into a tough blow for him. Italy’s Nicolo Martinenghi zoomed past him right at the finish line, snatching the gold medal from the British swimming star in a dramatic finish.

While COVID-19 hit Peaty hard during the Paris Olympics, leaving him stuck in bed for three days, he made a comeback for the 4×100-meter medley relay but he just didn’t have the same energy. Team GB ended up finishing fourth, crushing Peaty’s dreams of snagging another medal.

Opening up about his COVID battle on Times.com, Peaty shared how it really drained him. He said, “I’m still a bit poorly. I can’t really hear out of my left ear; I’ve still got a chest infection. I got hit hard with that illness. I was completely wiped out.” This unexpected setback messed with his Olympic goals and seems to have affected his future plans, too. While he’s not ready to retire his goggles just yet, he announced a two-year break from competitive swimming to focus on training. Now, the big question is: will we see Adam Peaty at the LA Olympics?