Prince William was out and about on Thursday, the morning after his big outing at the Royal Variety show. His wife was his date on Wednesday night, and those photos were still being discussed the next day. So much so that William’s Thursday event got barely any attention. He was in Leeds to open up a new treatment center for motor neurone disease. He is close to the family of late rugby pro Rob Burrow, and he spent time with Burrow’s widow and children at the opening.
The Prince of Wales shared a hug with Rob Burrow’s widow Lindsey as he arrived to officially open a centre in the late athlete’s honour in Leeds. Prince William and the mother-of-three first met one another when the royal, 43, presented Rob with his CBE in January 2024. The rugby league player passed away months later in June 2024 after a battle with motor neurone disease (MND).
William would later record a touching message for Rob’s widow to use as the foreword in her memoir, which was released earlier this year.
Together they joined forces again today to open the Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease at Seacroft Hospital in Leeds – a new world-leading facility dedicated to the diagnosis, research and care of MND.
During the emotional visit, William also told Rob’s children, Macy, Maya and Jackson, they should be ‘so proud’ of him and said it was his ‘absolute honour’ to visit today. He said the Leeds Rhinos rugby legend’s legacy will ‘live on’, adding: ‘He really was an incredibly brave, very special man.’
Born from Rob’s determination to create a place that treats patients as people, not conditions, the centre was designed with patients and families at its heart – providing a calm, welcoming, and fully accessible environment.
Honestly, William steps out every so often to do these kinds of solo events with very little media coverage. It’s definitely what he should be doing, and what he should be doing more of, not just when he has some kind of personal connection to the family (or a sport he enjoys). It’s a little bit funny though, how this event was completely overshadowed by the Duchess of Sussex. Even if Meghan’s Bazaar cover hadn’t have come out last night, I’m sure the result would have been the same – barely any coverage.
I also wanted to highlight the awkwardness of William’s hugs. He greeted Lindsey Burrow with a hug and it just doesn’t come naturally to him. Three years after Netflix’s Harry & Meghan series, and Will and Kate are STILL trying to prove that they’re huggers too, they just didn’t want to hug Meghan!!
Photos courtesy of Getty, Cover Images.
-
- The Prince of Wales talking with Dr. Agam Jung, during his visit to officially open the Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease at Seacroft Hospital in Leeds Featuring: William, Prince of Wales Where: Leeds, United Kingdom When: 20 Nov 2025 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
-
- The Prince of Wales during his visit to officially open the Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease at Seacroft Hospital in Leeds Featuring: William, Prince of Wales Where: Leeds, United Kingdom When: 20 Nov 2025 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
-
- The Prince of Wales sits next to Maya, daughter of the late rugby league player Rob Burrow, during his visit to officially open the Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease at Seacroft Hospital in Leeds Featuring: William, Prince of Wales Where: Leeds, United Kingdom When: 20 Nov 2025 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
-
- The Prince of Wales during his visit to officially open the Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease at Seacroft Hospital in Leeds Featuring: William, Prince of Wales Where: Leeds, United Kingdom When: 20 Nov 2025 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
Yikes that was one very weird hug from Peg lol. He can’t compete with his brother who actually cares about the people he interacts with this is just Peg trying to get some good PR with this weird hug. It’s look at me Harry I hug too lol.
As someone who e who is 5’2”, my life is full of awkward hugs from men who are considerably taller than me.
It’s awkward because Peg is not a hugger! Period.
I was just coming here to say that. He looks a foot taller than she does and if he didn’t stoop down a bit she’d be smashed into his shirtfront. At 5′ 1 3/4″ (I insist on that 3/4″), this has happened to me.
Harry is just as tall as Scooter and manages to give great hugs to people of all sizes. Billy Idle could spend some time watching videos of Harry hugging and copy the hugs with his children as training objects, which have just the right size for shorter people. He could *gasp* hug Catherine for people a little taller. Training session with family love. Might surprise them, but could do wonders for all of them. They all look like they could use a good hug.
@Eurydice, I’m the same height, about to turn 63, and am holding on to every .125″ like grim death.
“William would later record a touching message for Rob’s widow to use as the foreword in her memoir, which was released earlier this year.”
Willy, sweetie, that doesn’t make it sound like you can write. Or read. Go back and try again, ‘kay?
He’s out working almost every day this week so that’s something.
Is there nothing more current (up to date) that they can do during these “work” outings? It seems the RF have been doing the same thing for decades. Show up, glad hand, smile and pose, pretend to listen, waves all around then leave after what, 20 minutes? It’s just so performative, and I’m not sure how this aids their charities or shows them to be of the people.
I mean he’s really trying. I think this is a worthwhile project to get behind. It is very strange that he and Kate refuse to use their soft power to get behind cancer research and support.
Why is he so badly dressed? His pants and shoes are awful, and while the jacket is fine, his tie and shirt are the dullest possible choices to go with it.
He’s so bad at this. I still remember him grinning maniacally while hugging an old man; the old guy was crying (he was homeless I think) but to William he was just a prop.