Prince William surprised boxer Lauren Price with a birthday cake.
The Duke of Cambridge interviewed the Team GB hopeful in the grounds of Kensington Palace ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and presented her with a sweet treat to mark her recent 27th birthday as he wished her luck for the upcoming competition.
The cake was in the shape of a boxing ring and featured two gloves made from red marzipan and the message: “Happy 27th Birthday Lauren + Good Luck!”
William smiled and said: “I hope it tastes alright but you can take it home with you, you don’t have to eat it all now!
“Happy Birthday for today and hope you have a good day. We’ll all be wishing you well, Lauren, and cheering you on. You’ll do us very proud in the Olympics, I’m sure, and you’ll do everyone proud in your hometown, and your grandparents as well, so best of luck!”
Lauren – who was raised by her grandparents, Linda and the late Derek Price – won kickboxing world titles as a teenager and played football for Wales before switching to boxing in 2014 and the reigning Commonwealth Games champion admitted she’s always dreamed of competing in the Olympics.
She told the prince in an interview for BBC Sport: “It’s been a dream of mine since I was eight to go to the Olympic Games. I remember being sat in the living room with my Nan and Grandad watching the Olympics and seeing Kelly Holmes win gold, and at the time I didn’t know what sport I wanted to do, I just wanted to go to the Olympic Games.”
Lauren’s grandfather sadly passed away last November but she knows he’s still “looking down” on her.
She said: “It’s something I take with me in the ring, I know he’s always looking down on me.”
And the sportswoman knows she’ll have the support of her grandmother while she’s away in Japan thanks to her inspirational text messages.
She said: “She’ll remind me how hard I’ve worked over the years and how much my dreams mean to me. She always used to say to me ‘reach for the moon, if I fall short, I’ll land on the stars’ and that’s something that’s always stuck with me.”