The Prince of Wales has told some of Britain’s top medal-winning swimmers how Covid fears for his wife stopped him from going to the Paris Olympics, but his family was glued to the action.

William met 2024 Olympians Adam Peaty and Tom Dean, and Paralympians Maisie Summers-Newton and Louise Fiddes, as he visited at Birtley Community Pool in Gateshead on Thursday.

Apparently referring to Peaty’s positive Covid test during the Olympics, he said: “I was so keen to come but, I have to say, after reading someone’s interview about Covid I decided because my wife was obviously having chemo, that I didn’t want to risk bringing Covid home.

“So Adam very kindly reminded me that was still a thing. But we watched the whole thing. We were glued to it every day.”

William was at the centre – which reopened in September after the community came together following its closure last year – to promote swimming.

He told the four athletes that he and the Princess of Wales “adored” swimming and that his son George had taken up scuba diving.

He said: “Catherine and I both adore swimming.

“George loves scuba diving. He’s 10 years old. We took him under thinking he would freak out. He absolutely loves it.

“It’s just introducing him to the world of water.”

(Image: PA) Referring to the pool, he said: “We want to replicate this across the country because swimming is such an important part of life.

“We’re an island nation, we should all have access to learn how to swim.”

Dean attended the event after his recent exit from the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing, and he said William and Kate thought him being voted off was “robbery”.

After the visit, the swimmer said: “He (William) doesn’t watch it but his wife’s a big fan.

“Robbery was the word he used. Very, very kind of him but it does give me a lot more free time to do stuff like this.”

Aston Villa fan William was congratulated on his team’s Champions League victory over Bayern Munich as he went for a walkabout in the sunshine as he arrived at the event.

(Image: PA) As he posed for dozens of selfies, he told well-wishers he and his sons shouted themselves hoarse at the match, and he had lost his voice.

William toured the centre, watching swimming lessons and lifeguard training, and was told how one in three children in the UK leaves primary education unable to swim.

The pool opened in 1974 but was closed by Gateshead Council in July 2023 due to costs.

(Image: PA) The prince was told that the community came together to support efforts to reopen the pool through a crowdfunding campaign and that businesses and tradespeople gave their time to refurbish the facilities.

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On Thursday, the Royal Foundation of the Prince and Princess of Wales announced a new partnership with Birtley Community Pool to provide swimming lessons and lifeguard training.

The foundation said it has been working closely with the centre to connect it with new partners to support their efforts to get back up and running.

The organisation said its Community Impact Programme has partly funded the refurbishment, helped young people to make use of the facilities with a bursary, and established another bursary for teenagers to train as lifeguards.