In January of this year, Prince William drunkenly stumbled onto a new “cause.” William anointed himself the savior of British pubs, and he seems committed to drinking his way through every pub in the UK in an effort to raise awareness of the importance of pubs to British life. In January, he actually said the words “I grew up in pubs.” He did not. Neither Diana nor Charles was ever much of a drinker, and they certainly didn’t take William to the local pub, down the street from Kensington Palace (which is where William actually grew up). Well, William magically had time to stop by a pub on Wednesday and he once again told everyone that he loves pubs, he grew up in pubs and pubs are essential community hubs. Amongst all of this boozing, William tried and failed to look comfortable around Black folks while simultaneously trying to use Black people as diversity props.

The Prince of Wales has thrown his support behind saving British pubs, saying that we need to “protect” them. He said they are “so important” and “a place for the community to come together” during a trip to a pub in Peckham, south-east London, on Wednesday.

Speaking at the Prince of Peckham on Wednesday, Prince William pledged: “I love pubs. I want to do as much as I can to support pubs because I love the community. We need to protect our pubs.”

The 43-year-old said that Britain’s public houses acted as “the glue and fabric” in a community, adding: “It’s the people – the team – around a pub that make it.”

Speaking about Clem Ogbonnaya, the owner of the recently renovated pub, he said: “It’s a family business which is good, because that makes the pub.”

Landlords have said their public houses are on the brink because of rising costs, including business rate changes, the cost of the employers’ National Insurance increase, a rise in alcohol duty and the minimum wage, and a planned cut to the drink-driving limit. An estimated one pub a day closed permanently in England and Wales last year, and since 2000 some 15,000 pubs in the UK have closed their doors.

Prince William was visiting the Prince of Peckham as part of a drive to showcase local leadership and community hubs in east London. He surprised residents who were attending the pub’s weekly breakfast club, Chatty Patty. The meeting aims to tackle loneliness and offers free tea and community for locals. The Prince told the group that he “grew up in pubs” and has previously described them as “crucial” for human contact.

During the visit, he pulled a pint of Red Stripe with Mr Ogbonnaya, describing his own efforts as “really good” and receiving a round of applause. He joked Mr Ogbonnaya was “just as bad as me” and the pair laughed and bumped shoulders after their efforts.

Prince William also tried the jerk chicken with plantain, which he said “blew my mind”.

“I’m hoping they’ll Deliveroo this jerk chicken to Windsor,” he quipped.

[From The Telegraph]

He had his mind blown by seasoned food, my goodness. You know that bald head was SWEATING. And again with the “I grew up in pubs” line. Did the crisis manager feed him that line to be “relatable” or something? “Saying you grew up in pubs gives you an extra 5% in these emotional-support polls, sir, keep saying it!” As for pubs-as-a-cause… I get it from an economic standpoint, and I think it would probably look better for William to make that argument too. Pubs are local small businesses, the backbone of local economies and a place for people to socialize in real life in an era when too many people live online. That’s what William should say, you know? Instead, he sounds like a lush who is trying too hard to have the “common touch.”

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.