Prince William, Duke of Cambridge is wet after a boat ride with Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge as they attend the Platinum Jubilee Sailing Regatta n day seven of the Royal Tour of the Caribbean on March 25, 2022 in Nassau, Bahamas.© Chris Jackson

Watch: Prince William displays his athletic side as he takes to the water in row boat

The Prince of Wales marked Mental Health Awareness Month with the crew of HMS Oardacious

Senior Lifestyle & Fashion Writer
May 21, 2023

Prince William totally stunned royal fans as he showed off his rowing skills on Sunday. The Prince of Wales took to the water with the HMS Oardacious crew, an organisation established in 2019 to provide mental health and wellbeing support to the Submarine community. 

William, 40, posted a video via the official Instagram account he shares with the Princess of Wales. In the moving clip, the royal was seen rowing while simultaneously engaging in a candid conversation about mental health with the crew. 

Take a look at Prince William showing off his athletic side in the clip below… 

Prince William's sporty side evident as he joins rowing crew

The father-of-three sparked a conversation about vulnerability, the importance of showing empathy and how to be open with emotions. 

His Instagram post read: "Joining the past, present and future crews of HMS Oardacious for a very important conversation about mental health. 

LOOK: 17 of Prince William's fittest moments that prove he's the king of sports

© Instagram

The Prince of Wales joined the HMS Oardacious crew

"For #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek we headed out onto the water, chatting about everything from teamwork to food rations and just what it takes to look after your mental health when rowing across the Atlantic. 

© Instagram

HMS Oardacious was set up in 2019 to fundraise through submariners taking on the challenge of rowing across the Atlantic with £110,000 being raised so far.

"Watch the full film via the link in our bio and find out more from @hmsoardacious." 

It's not the first time the royal has been open with conversations on mental health. 

The future king previously appeared in BBC documentary Football, Prince William and Our Mental Health, revealing that his poor vision is actually an asset when it comes to managing his anxiety. 

© Getty

Prince William formerly participated in a rowing race between the twinned town of Cambridge and Heidelberg and against his wife

"My eyesight started to tail off a little bit as I got older, and I didn't used to wear contacts when I was working, so when I gave speeches I couldn't see anyone's face," William said. 

"And it helps, because it's just a blur of faces and because you can't see anyone looking at you - I can see enough to read the paper and stuff like that - but I couldn't actually see the whole room. And actually, that really helped with my anxiety," he continued. 

© Getty

Prince William rowing on an official visit to Germany on July 20, 2017 in Heidelberg

Royal fans were quick to react to Prince William's rowing moment. "Appreciate this new social media, especially using it to highlight such an important message this week. Thank you!" commented one fan. 

"His mother would be extremely proud of William. He’s done her proud," a second fan sweetly shared, as another joked: "Row..row..row your boat gently down the stream if you see Prince William don't forget to scream! Well done and amazing work and support for sensitive issues in our society." 

© Getty

The royal has been open about his own mental health in the past

The Prince of Wales' video comes just after his wife, the Princess of Wales shared a photo of herself as we've never seen her before. 

Princess Catherine was dubbed the "Queen Bee" by royal fans as she wore a full beekeeping suit with a protective hat veil and wellington boots in honour of World Bee Day. 

© Matt Porteous

Princess Kate looked right at home tending to bees for World Bee Day

The royal looked busy at work as she tended to a hive with a big smile on her face. 

The caption on her post shared to the Prince and Princess of Wales' official Instagram account read: "We are buzzing about #WorldBeeDay. Bees are a vital part of our ecosystem and today is a great opportunity to raise awareness of the essential role bees and other pollinators play in keeping people and the planet healthy."

READ NEXT: 5 memorable royal skiing accidents: Sophie Wessex, Princess Diana and more

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