Adoring female fans couldn’t get enough of Prince William in Brazil this week, as social media was full of praise for the ‘sexy’ royal’s athletic physique following a ‘sweaty’ game of volleyball on Copacabana beach.
Tanned and sporting a trimmed beard, the father-of-three was also notably looking to be in great shape as he whizzed around the sandy terrain to get the ball over the net – proving that being in his forties hasn’t slowed him down one bit.
It’s perhaps of no surprise, given the heir to the throne comes from a history of rigorous military training and a myriad of activities, including rowing, swimming and polo.
And the legacy of sporty skills all throughout his youth seems to be serving him well to this day.
He completed his training as a helicopter pilot in the RAF Search and Rescue Force back in 2010, later flying an air ambulance for two years before stepping down to take on more royal roles on behalf of Queen Elizabeth.
It would have demanded that the Prince passed grueling exercise regimes and requirements, with the RAF site stating that ‘fitness is important’.
‘We’re always on the move, whether in combat zones or on peaceful missions,’ it continued. ‘Being physically fit means we’re ready for anything.
‘We’re looking for people who don’t give up. We don’t expect superhuman strength or endurance from the start, just a commitment to work hard.’
Before joining the force, William would likely have had to prove that he run 2.4km (1.5 miles) on a treadmill in 13.2 minutes, the threshold for males aged 17 to 29-years-old.
Other previous guides suggest he would also have had to demonstrate the ability to do 20 press-ups, 35 sit-ups, and a bleep test in 9.03 minutes.
It is also possible he would have had to pass the fitness test requirements for the British Army as well, as before his RAF stint, he was in 2006 admitted to the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.
For this, recruits must prove their ability to do mid-thigh pulls, a medicine ball throw, and a bleep test.
During his training as a helicopter pilot, he would have had to go through an intense fitness programme which focused on aerobic fitness, muscular endurance and flexibility, moderating between low and high intensity workouts including swimming, running, walking, cycling and circuits.
It is also understood that during the early noughties, William was fond of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) 5BX.
According to the Telegraph, the Prince completed the basic exercises, designed to keep cadets fit even if they don’t have access to equipment, as part of his morning routine.
‘The RCAF plan was very popular in the 1960s,’ John Brewer, director of the Sports Injury and Human Performance Centre at Lilleshall National Sports Centre in Shropshire told the outlet.
‘Basically, it is a mini bootcamp workout that is a great way of improving muscle strength, flexibility and co-ordination, although it won’t do much for your cardiovascular fitness.
‘You need to use it as part of a more comprehensive physical activity plan to get fit.’
During his university years, William was also a fan of swimming. As reported by Woman & Home, the royal was on the water polo team at Eton, with Prince Harry even mentioning the fact in his best man speech at William and Kate’s wedding.
The Prince of Wales then captained the team at St Andrew’s, and was in 2007 made Patron of the English Schools’ Swimming Association.
‘Having swum and played water polo throughout my days at school and university, I am well aware of the great benefits and pleasure that can be derived from them,’ he said at the time.
‘ESSA enables children all over the country to share in these benefits, teaching them to swim – and swim to the highest standards – and generally to enjoy their time in the water.’
He is also fond of rowing, having in recent years joined Royal Navy crew for a trip as he marked a Mental Health Awareness campaign.
In a video from 2023 – which was uploaded on the Prince and Princess of Wales’ YouTube account – the royal met members of the HMS Oardacious at Dorney Lake in Windsor. The campaign was founded in 2019 to provide mental health support to those working in submarines.
The father-of-three met with Lieutenant Commander Hugo Mitchell-Heggs and his team.
Following their excursion, the group returned to Eton College’s Rowing Centre – where William asked the rowers about how they mentally cope with the stresses of their jobs.
It is also understood he is a keen runner, in 2023 telling interviewers that he had enjoyed a morning jog in New York’s Central Park, while visiting for the Earthshot Prize Innovation Summit, HELLO reported.
And while not much is known about his current regime, as recently as 2019 British rapper Stormzy revealed that he had bumped into William at his gym.
‘Yeah, I was just walking up the stairs and someone was like, “Stormzy!”,’ he told the Jonathan Ross show.
‘And I was like, “Whoa. What’s going on Prince?” I swear down, I just bumped into him.’
It was at the time reported the gym in question was Chelsea Harbour Club, a luxurious fitness hub with swimming pools, tennis courts, a spa and ‘bespoke’ exercises. Reports claim the joining fee alone is some £1,880.
Elsewhere, the royal opened up about his diet in 2022.
During a trip to Cornwall’s Newquay Orchard, he explained he has a healthy start to the day by eating two eggs and wholemeal toast with butter – adding that he enjoyed apple juice and a cup of tea with milk and sugar alongside it.
Admitting he was ‘trying to cut down on sugar’, William then revealed that he had had a ‘rubbish’ sandwich for lunch that day, while enjoying fish and mushrooms for dinner.
He said he ‘doesn’t drink coffee’ so drinks ‘two or three cups of tea’ a day, as well as enjoying snacks like bananas and chocolate biscuits or brownies.
Meanwhile, the royal added he might have a glass of red wine each day.
