Prince William Releases Special Message amid Summer Break with Kate Middleton and Their Kids

Prince William may be on summer break with Kate Middleton and their children, but that didn’t stop him from slipping in a royal assist for a Cornish soccer team about to hit a major milestone.

On Aug. 8, Truro City Football Club shared on X a photo of a heartfelt letter from William — sent via his private secretary, Ian Patrick — congratulating the team ahead of their National League debut. Addressed to captain Connor Riley-Lowe and signed with William’s Duke of Cornwall title, the note carried extra sentimental weight for the Cornwall-based club.

“Dear Connor, The Duke of Cornwall has asked me to write ahead of your home match against York on Saturday next week. The Duke knows that you have only just returned home after a few years away, and like everyone else in Cornwall will be cheering you on,” said the letter from Patrick on Kensington Palace letterhead, dated Aug. 7.

“Prince William has asked me to pass on his warmest congratulations in getting promoted to the National League as Cornwall’s first professional team. This comes with the Duke of Cornwall’s very best wishes,” it continued.

“Good luck to the Tinners,” the note closed, with that sentiment underlined. “Yours, Ian.” 

It was a thoughtful gesture for Prince William to send Truro City F.C. a letter, as the squad will play its debut home game in the National League against York City next week on Saturday, Aug. 16. It’s an exciting time for the team, as Truro City becomes the first team from Cornwall to ever reach the fifth tier of English soccer and the first side from the county of Cornwall to become full professional, according to BBC Sport.

The team was promoted to the new tier in April 2025 after they won the National League South title and to put it into context, captain Riley-Lowe juggled the club with a full-time job as a teacher until then!

“It’s taken some getting used to,” he told BBC Sport.

Prince William is a passionate soccer fan and patron of the Football Association, soccer’s governing body in England. The Prince of Wales, and heir to the throne, has a particular passion for Aston Villa and has passed on the fandom to his eldest son, Prince George, 12, and is known to comment on big news in the soccer world through social media, even during his children’s school breaks.

Prince William and Princess Kate’s last public appearance as a family of five with their kids Prince George, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7, was at Trooping the Colour on June 14, though George and Charlotte have since been treated to other sporty outings.

The Prince and Princess of Wales brought their two elder kids along to the men’s singles finals of the Wimbledon Championships on July 13 and Princess Charlotte joined her dad in Switzerland to see England’s women’s national soccer team compete in the UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 final on July 27.

It was Charlotte’s first soccer game overseas and a meaningful outing for the dad and daughter, who have cheered for the England’s women’s national team, nicknamed the Lionessess, together through the years. 

The British royals were animated fans in the stands as England beat Spain 3-1 in penalty kicks, and Charlotte had a social media first with William by sending congratulations to the Lionesses after.

Prince William and his family have been outside of the spotlight since and usually retreat around this time of year for a summer break before fall begins.

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The wider royal family has gathered at Balmoral Castle in the Scottish Highlands in the late summer for generations, and the castle’s website hints that the tradition is continuing today! 

Balmoral closes to the public this Sunday, Aug. 10, revealing that a royal stay might be underway.