Prince William paid tribute to Michael Phelps at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards on Sunday (18.12.16).
The 34-year-old royal attended the ceremony in Birmingham, England, where he presented the Olympic swimmer with the Lifetime Achievement Award and joked that his retirement would give other athletes a chance to shine.
He said: "It’s a huge honour for me to be here this evening for what has been an incredibly memorable year for sport.
"It’s also a particular privilege to be here tonight Michael to give you your Lifetime Achievement Award.
"You’re one of the greatest sporting icons the world has ever had.
"Your 23 gold medals, never mind all the other colours, pales into sheer superhuman history.
"You should be so proud of your achievements, so many, many congratulations and hopefully your retirement gives somebody else the chance now."
Tennis star Andy Murray accepted the Sports Personality of the Year award from Miami, where he is attending his annual pre-season training camp.
He said: "I would like to thank my team, who make a lot of sacrifices and spend a lot of time away from their families. I’d also like to thank my own family, my mum, my dad, who got married 10 days ago, I miss you guys.
"Thanks to my wife Kim, although I’ve got a bone to pick with her because she texted an hour before to say she voted for Nick Skelton. She told me she voted for both of us, so I’m going to have to trust her on that."
Prince William’s tribute to Michael Phelps
