BREAKING NEWS — PRINCE WILLIAM SECRETLY DONATES TO...

BREAKING NEWS — PRINCE WILLIAM SECRETLY DONATES TO A PUB FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN, AND THE NAME USED IS DRAWING MAJOR ATTENTION…

The royal heir also accepted an offer to pull a pint if the group reaches its goal.

Prince William and Kate Middleton laugh as they attend day two of Royal Ascot 2026 at Ascot Racecourse on June 17, 2026 in Ascot, England.Credit : Karwai Tang/WireImage

Prince William gave a donation to help save a local pub, but he didn’t use his royal title to do it.

On June 17, the BBC reported that the Prince of Wales, 43, donated about $1,323 (£1,000) to Semington Community Benefit Society as it raises money to reopen the Somerset Arms in Wiltshire.

The pub has been closed since 2023, and the group reached out to William about their mission, suggesting that he could pull the first pint if they hit their target, The Times said.

The heir to the throne accepted the invite and gave the donation to the campaign under the name William Wales. The Crowdfunder shows that “William Wales” made the donation this week on June 16.

While the surname for Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip’s descendants is technically Mountbatten-Windsor, Wales is the last name that William has used, when necessary, for most of his life.

It’s a British royal family tradition for children to use the basis of their parents’ titles as their last name, and William was called William Wales while in school and in the military.

The homage reflected his father King Charles’ Prince of Wales title at the time, and the tradition continues today. The King named William as the Prince of Wales upon his accession to the throne, and William’s kids Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 11, and Prince Louis, 8, now use Wales as their last name, too.

Queen Camilla, King Charles, Prince William, Princess Charlotte, Kate Middleton, Prince Louis and Prince George on the balcony of Buckingham Palace at Trooping the Colour on June 13, 2026.ANDY RAIN/EPA/Shutterstock

Along with his donation to help reopen the Somerset Arms, the royal also wrote a letter underscoring his passion for pubs and the role they play in U.K. community life.

Describing pubs as a “lifeline” for rural communities, Prince William wrote to the Semington Community Benefit Society, “I am very keen to support the role that pubs play, not only as businesses, but as community hubs that contribute so much to the fabric of our nation. I look forward to coming down to pull a pint and celebrate your success,” the outlet said.

The appeal is aiming to raise about $13,236 by Aug. 1, and about $257,659 in non-binding pledges have also been committed so far, according to the society’s website. The Somerset Arms is for sale for about $522,729, and the Times said it is “the only pub left in the village.”

The Prince of Wales highlighted the importance of pubs as community connectors during a solo engagement two weeks ago, when he paid a visit to the community-led The Prince of Peckham Pub in London.

Prince William pours a pint alongside Clement Ogbonnaya during his visit to The Prince of Peckham pub in Peckham on June 3, 2026 in London.Chris Jackson/Getty

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William made the stop to learn about the venue’s programs that support well-being and reduce isolation, and he even tried his hand at pulling a pint.

“Not bad,” he joked behind the bar, evaluating his work.

SOURCE: https://people.com/prince-william-donates-pub-fundraiser-under-surprising-royal-name-12003265