His Royal Buffness! Prince William wore a wetsuit at the Oasis Sports Centre in Covent Garden, London, on Wednesday, July 9, to announce his takeover as president of the British Sub-Aqua Club from dad Prince Charles.
“Scuba diving really has opened my eyes,” William, wearing a short-sleeve, short-legged Aqua Lung wetsuit, told the crowd which included his father. “Not only to many extraordinary sights, but also to the responsibilities that we have as guardians of the underwater world.”
The Prince, 32, has gone scuba diving and snorkeling previously in exotic locations like Mustique, the Maldives and the Seychelles, where he and Kate Middleton honeymooned back in Spring 2011.
“I hope that one day my son, George, will also experience the wonders that snorkeling and scuba diving have to offer,” he said. The Prince also made a note about his son’s bathtime behavior, which, “at the moment is quite painful.”
During a speech from BSAC chairman Eugene Farrell, a photo of a shirtless Prince Charles, taken at the club in the late ’70s, was flashed across the screen. Farrell described Charles as “buff,” although the Prince had no idea what the word meant. His more pop-savvy son leaned over and whispered its meaning, saying: “Pa, you should be pleased!”
Charles, who was “delighted” about William’s takeover, then urged his son to get into the pool and “demonstrate his buff credentials.”
Blushing and smiling, William demonstrated his sub-aqua skills by trying his hand at snorkeling and diving. Farrell also presented William with a tiny T-shirt emblazoned with a scuba-diving seal for Prince George to wear.
The BSAC represents more than 30,000 scuba divers and snorkelers in the U.K.
