Heavy is the head that wears the crown, they say, and Prince William was surely feeling the pressure on a very official and serious royal engagement at a local London pub. At The Prince of Peckham, Prince William met with the pub’s new owner following a recent renovation. The Prince of Wales praised Britain’s pubs as “a place for the community to come together.”
In a video shared by Rebecca English on X, Prince William tried his hand at a little bartending, pulling a half pint of beer. “It’s a lot of pressure, nothing beats a good half pint,” Prince William joked as the pub’s owner, Clem Ogbonnaya, coached him through it. “That’s a good angle” the publican-turned-bartender told the prince as he pulled the pint. “Not bad, not bad,” Prince William declared.“I’d say that's pretty good. It's definitely drinkable.”
While it was all fun and games with a touch of midday drinking, Prince William’s visit highlighted the pub’s Chatty Patty, a weekly guided community event, with free tea and the opportunity to connect. “There’s no pressure, no expectations, just a welcoming environment where people can meet, spend time together, and feel part of something,” the pub’s website boasts. “We believe meaningful connection starts with simply showing up, sharing space, feeling seen, and being around others in a safe and welcoming environment.”
Prince William praised the initiative’s efforts as a way to fight loneliness and build community, something that pubs are particularly good at. “I love pubs. I want to do as much as I can to support pubs because I love the community,” Prince William said. “We need to protect our pubs.”
According to The Telegraph, “an estimated one pub a day closed permanently in England and Wales last year, and since 2000 some 15,000 pubs in the UK have closed their doors.” The United Kingdom is practically synonymous with pubs and pub culture, which operate at a community hub and ‘third space’ as much as a local eatery.
Back at The Prince of Peckham, the Prince of Wales tried some of the pub’s best dishes, including their “signature” Jerk Chicken Meal, which the prince said “blew my mind”. The dish features the pub’s signature jerk chicken, rice & peas, coleslaw, pineapple scotch bonnet jam and jerk BBQ sauce.” The scotch bonnet jam—an intensely spicy pepper—seems outside of Prince William’s comfort zone, since the Princess of Wales revealed he doesn’t love spicy food. Despite this, the prince told the pub’s team “I’m hoping they’ll Deliveroo this jerk chicken to Windsor.” Sounds like Princess Kate is getting takeaway tonight.
