• Prince William appeared on a special episode of former soccer player Peter Crouch’s podcast.
  • He shared the worst gift he ever bought Kate Middleton: a pair of binoculars.
  • “She was looking at me going, ‘They’re binoculars, what’s going on?’” William recalled.

What do you do when you’re obscenely wealthy, you have a literal team of staff who could source your every whim, and your beloved then-girlfriend needs a gift? Well, if you’re Prince William, you absolutely spiral and buy her something better suited to your elderly aunt who likes to birdwatch of a Sunday morning: a pair of binoculars.

William confessed his terrible choice of gift to former soccer player Peter Crouch during a special Kensington Palace recording of the latter’s BBC podcast, That Peter Crouch Podcast. “That was early on in the courtship, that was. I wrapped them. They were really nice,” he reflected, as People reports. “I was trying to convince myself about it. I was like, ‘But these are really amazing, look how far you can see!’”

Unsurprisingly, Kate was not convinced, William admitted. “She was looking at me going, ‘They’re binoculars, what’s going on?’ It didn’t go well. Honestly, I have no idea why I bought her a pair of binoculars.”

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The royal appeared on the podcast to discuss his mental health initiative, Heads Up, ahead of Saturday’s Heads Up FA Cup Final between soccer teams Arsenal and Chelsea. William emphasized the importance of speaking about mental health, and seeking help when needed.

“We all have mental health, and we all have to stay mentally fit,” he said. “It’s a strength to talk about your mental health, it’s not a weakness. You know, if you’re not feeling well, something’s bothering you, talk about it—it’s not a problem.”

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From: Marie Claire US
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Emily Dixon

Emily Dixon is a British journalist who’s contributed to CNN, Teen Vogue, Time, Glamour, The Guardian, Wonderland, The Big Roundtable, Bust, and more, on everything from mental health to fashion to political activism to feminist zine collectives. She’s also a committed Beyoncé, Kacey Musgraves, and Tracee Ellis Ross fan, an enthusiastic but terrible ballet dancer, and a proud Geordie lass.