Prince William informed Keely Hodgkinson that Princess Charlotte is an avid runner during the Olympic champion's visit to Windsor Castle. The British athlete, 24, became a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2025 after winning gold in the 800m at the Paris Games and being named the Sports Personality of the Year in 2024.
Royal praise for Hodgkinson
Hodgkinson said being recognised for her sporting achievements was "really nice" and added that the "whole experience has been amazing". The runner was made aware of Charlotte's athletic prowess by the future King, as she said last year: "The prince told me his daughter is doing the 400m at the minute and the hurdles and that she did watch me in Paris. He told me that he remembers me winning and that he wished he could be there to see it himself."
Fastest heat time
Hodgkinson is on course to become a three-time consecutive 800m champion at the European Athletics Championship after winning her opening round on Tuesday in Birmingham. Her time of 1min 57.28sec is the fastest she's ever recorded in a heat, as she easily booked her place in the semi-finals on Thursday.
After the race, she said: "I felt really good. I think that’s the fastest I’ve ever run in a heat. But I could feel the girls pushing on my shoulder. And, to be honest, running at that kind of pace is a bit more in keeping with my training, so it actually felt kind of nice. I had to slow myself down a bit. But I’ve got a day off now before the semi-final and I feel good."
Looking ahead to the final
If it all goes to plan on Thursday, Hodgkinson will have the opportunity to add another gold to her collection in her likely battle against Swiss star Audrey Werro and Olympic and world champion Femke Broeders-Bol on Friday. The Briton revealed that she arrived in Birmingham off the back of recording a personal best during her camp in Portugal. She regularly uses the camp to measure her fitness before major competitions with her coach, Trevor Painter.
She said: "Portugal went really well. I’m really happy and just excited to showcase where I’m at and hopefully have the performance I know I’m capable of. It’s always all about medals. They create legacy. This will hopefully be my fifth back‑to‑back title."
