The prince and his younger brother are estranged, with their long-standing rift showing no signs of abating.
The Prince of Wales played bowls with a group of schoolchildren in west London at the same time his brother, the Duke of Sussex, made his first public outing during his five-day trip to the United Kingdom.
William was joined by five Team Wales athletes who are preparing for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow during his visit to The London Welsh School in Hanwell on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, his brother Harry was at the 14th Invictus Games Foundation Conversation, just 12 miles away at Chatham House in central London.
The duke arrived back in the UK on Monday for five days of engagements in London and Birmingham, including marking the one-year countdown to the 2027 Invictus Games.
It is not known yet whether the Duchess of Sussex and their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, will join him during his trip, nor when or whether Harry will see his father, the King.
During his visit to The London Welsh School, William met five Team Wales athletes – lawn and indoor bowler Ross Owen, blind para bowler Julie Thomas and her guide John Wilson, and weightlifters Madaline Connelly and Catrin Haf Jones – who had just received their new dark green kit ahead of the Games.
As he sat down in the shade at the back of the school garden with the athletes, the prince joked about the sweltering weather in London and told them: “You’ve found a bit of shade here, guys, well done”.
William was introduced to the athletes by Team Wales chief executive Rebecca Edwards-Symmons, who also showed him the gold, silver and bronze Glasgow 2026 medals, which feature Braille descriptions for the first time.
The group talked about what the athletes expect from the Games, and the prince discussed the importance of teamwork with Thomas and her guide Wilson.
William appeared very impressed when Thomas said Wilson “just tells me how far to throw and I do it”, and joked “my bowls are very erratic, so it’s quite good you know exactly how to get around”.
Speaking of her meeting with the prince, Thomas, who lost her sight “out of the blue” in 2008, said: “It was a lovely occasion today, and he seemed genuinely interested in all of us as athletes.
“And it was really nice because he seemed very knowledgeable. He was just genuinely warm and interested and enthusiastic about it.”
Team Wales is set to travel to Glasgow with a squad of 114 athletes – including 22 para-athletes – aged 16 to 73.
Taking place from July 23 to August 2, the Commonwealth Games will feature 10 sports and six para-sports, with events held at venues across Glasgow.
William was then taken inside the school to meet pupils, who were sitting in assembly and given a presentation about the Games by Glasgow 2026’s official unicorn mascot Finnie.
The children, who were surprised by the prince’s visit, clapped loudly as he entered the room after the Team Wales athletes.
William was then asked which sport he is looking forward to watching during the Games, to which he jokingly replied: “Oh, there’s a lot to choose from there. I think on such a hot day I’m gonna have to say swimming.”
The prince also met the school’s administrator, Eleri Brady and one of its governors, Jane Johns, who told him about the difficulties they have faced in attracting pupils since the Covid-19 pandemic.
Mrs Brady told him the school used to welcome around 40 students, which has since fallen to 12, and she and William discussed the importance of word of mouth in attracting more families.
Founded in 1958, Ysgol Gymraeg Llundain welcomes children aged three to 11 and is the only Welsh-medium primary school outside of Wales and Patagonia in South America, playing a key role in promoting Welsh language and culture in London.
William then joined school staff and pupils in the garden, where he played bowls and encouraged a young boy who had just mastered a throw on a bowling wedge, saying: “Well done, straight to the Commonwealth Games”.
The prince was also shown by athletes Owen and Thomas how to hold a lawn bowl properly and aim, but joked he preferred the kids’ plastic version, which is “much lighter”.
Before he left, the prince took a group picture with the school staff, pupils and Team Wales athletes, and was gifted a tie featuring Glasgow 2026’s bespoke tartan.
