The Prince of Wales set hearts racing on Thursday after he was snapped climbing a wire fence during a new appearance in Wales. Prince William visited the Welsh village of Skenfrith, which was battered by the River Monnow following Storm Claudia.
He said a “holistic” approach is needed to tackle extreme flooding after meeting villagers living with the threat of the upcoming storm season. The heir sympathised with residents who might be “anxious” about extreme weather events, he said, which were no longer “one in 50-year” occurrences but seemed to be happening every year.
Flood-hit village and environmental charity visit
Skenfrith has faced four major floods in six years, but the most recent last winter caused the biggest impact there after the River Monnow swept through the village after Storm Claudia brought a month’s rain in 24 hours to parts of England and Wales.
William also met representatives from environmental charity Stump Up for Trees at Great Tre-Rhew Farm in Monmouthshire. The charity, founded in 2020, aims to plant one million native trees across South Wales and the Bannau Brycheiniog, formerly known as the Brecon Beacons.
Fence climb and seed collection
The prince joined volunteers harvesting seeds from a field maple tree and planted a sessile oak tree, designated as the national tree of Wales. To access the trees, William had to climb over a barbed wire fence and use a small step, joking that he did not want to rip his trousers.
Royal fans took notice of the heir’s climbing skills and detailed shots and took to social media to express their jubilation. One user said on X: “Prince William looking perky in Wales [yesterday]. I have to say congratulations to whoever his gym coach is.”
Another one chimed: “That’s our Will!” A third one commented: “He can do it all.” A fourth one commented: “He is perky, isn't he?” A fifth one joked: “A fine figure indeed.”
Seeds and planting hopes
As he harvested seeds from the tree, William noted that he was “taller” than others present, adding, “I’m going to reach up here and get these higher ones”.
The charity collected 35,000 seeds last year that were used to grow new trees for planting, and hopes to increase this to 60,000 this year. William planted the sessile oak, praising the compost from the charity’s nursery, and said he hoped it would grow well. "It’s in a good spot, it has some space, it will be all right," he added.
