Prince William made a “surprise” appearance in Scotland on Wednesday. I have to say, I enjoy the fact that so many of William and Kate’s events are billed as “surprises” or “unannounced visits.” They do that for so many reasons: one, they don’t want people waiting around in case they cancel one of those unannounced visits; two, they really don’t want photographers catching sight of all of the empty streets and barricades holding back nothing but air. This is especially true when William visits Scotland solo – for some reason, Scottish people just do not give a crap about him. There are, like, tumbleweeds rolling by whenever he pops up to Scotland for a surprise event. As such, I looked around to see if there were any exterior shots of William arriving in Leith yesterday. Nope. Kensington Palace stage-managed it so that there were only interior photos. So much for the “most popular royal.” As for the events, they were actually nice, community-impact and local-sports related appearances.
Prince William is using his favorite game to help highlight how it can help foster improved well-being and build community. The Prince of Wales, 42, made an unannounced trip to Leith, in Scotland, on May 21 to see a local soccer project that is inspiring better health and improving social connections. Prince William — who goes by the title of Duke of Rothesay while in Scotland — visited Leith Community Centre, on the eastern edge of Edinburgh, to see how street soccer is helping to transform lives.
William showed off his soccer skills during the visit — despite wearing a suit (luckily, he was sporting sneakers).
As he did, the Royal Foundation — the organization that oversees the charitable work from him and his wife, Kate Middleton — revealed their latest commitment to local communities by announcing a collaboration with Street Soccer Scotland to build on efforts to revitalize Leith Community Centre. The foundation is also working closely with the charity as it convenes local partners, including Leith Community Centre and YMCA Edinburgh, to create “Leith United.”
A key aim is to build on existing sports-based initiatives at the community center that use the power of soccer to support people experiencing issues such as poor mental health, addiction, homelessness and isolation as well as foster a sense of belonging in the Leith community, Prince William’s office says.
Sounds good to me? On the rare occasions when William or Kate do this kind of thing, I always say the same thing: they should do more of this. Use the Royal Foundation to support local initiatives and community-led programs. Instead of trying to put their own keen stink on everything, just give money away and highlight the work on the ground. Stop trying to reinvent the wheel. Host fundraisers and use the power of your titles to draw more attention to worthy causes. It really is that f–king simple.
While in Leith, William obviously talked about his kids. That’s his one move! He was given a handmade Aston Villa poster and he told the kid that Prince Louis “at the moment says he supports five different football teams.” I guess we’re supposed to assume that George is an Aston Villa fan like his dad. What team does Charlotte support?
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
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