Prince William jokes about 'horrendous' pint-pulling skills as he's welcomed to Wrexham
The Prince of Wales joked about pulling a "horrendous" pint as he spent St David's Day in Wrexham to celebrate the National Day of Wales.
His first stop of a day of engagements was to Wrexham AFC. The football club has seen a historic rise over the past three years since the takeover by Hollywood stars, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
Prince William, 41, downed a shot and pulled a pint in the supporters’ home bar – and joked it needed time to settle, as he met Rob, staff, players and members of the local community in The Turf pub next to the club's stadium, before heading to the pitch.
"Still got a horrible head on it, that’s why I don't work behind the bar. That might settle in about an hour, talk among yourselves," the royal quipped.
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The father-of-three and renowned football fan has been President of the Football Association since 2006 and is a huge supporter of Aston Villa.
Praising the club's underdog story which saw the team promoted to the Football League after a 15-year absence, William said: "It’s a great success story you're building here, everything you've started and achieved it's fantastic, so onwards and upwards – it’s exciting. And anyone who's a true football fan wants to see you do well.”
Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds was unable to travel from the US for the royal visit as he is editing the latest instalment of his Deadpool movie series. He and Rob previously met King Charles and Queen Camilla when they visited Wrexham in December 2022.
Speaking about his own football journey with his beloved club, Villa, William told a group of supporters how he was taken to matches as a young boy and a downturn in their fortunes almost ten years ago rekindled his interest.
"When we got relegated it actually spurred me on to follow them more," he said.
As William chatted to fans outside the stadium, he shared a sweet moment with a little girl, who handed him a daffodil. See the moment below...
Before leaving, the Prince looked delighted as he was given his own personalised Wrexham AFC shirt.
William then joined primary school children at Ysgol yr Holl Saint, or All Saints School, in Gresford, Wrexham, North Wales, as they performed folk songs and dances.
The Prince also had a go at stirring a mix for bara brith – a Welsh tea bread – and was presented with a loaf to take home. He was also gifted three Welsh dragon toys for his children, George, Charlotte and Louis.
He said: "The children will like these when I come home with these guys."
And as he received a bouquet of flowers for his wife Kate, who is recovering from abdominal surgery, he said: "I’ll pass those on to Catherine."
For his final engagement of the day, the Prince of Wales visited the memorial of the Gresford mining disaster. This year marks the 90th anniversary of the tragic event which saw 266 men die following an explosion in the Gresford Colliery.
William and Kate became the Prince and Princess of Wales following Queen Elizabeth II's death and King Charles' accession to the throne in September 2022.
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