Why Prince William Spent Three Months Scrubbing Toilets in Chile Before Going to College

Prince William spent three months in Chile scrubbing toilets before he went to college. He was working as part of UK-based company called Raleigh International, which coordinates community and environmental projects in South America.

By Kayleigh Roberts

published 24 June 2019

in News

William Cleaning Toilet — (Image credit: Pool/Tim Graham Picture Library)

We normals have to do chores. We have to wash our own dishes and scrub our own toilets. Royals don't have to do their own chores. They have people to do those things for them. And royals certainly don't have to do other people's chores. But sometimes they do.

Prince William, for example, spent three months in Chile during his gap year working with a UK-based company called Raleigh International, which coordinates community and environmental projects in South America. During his time with Raleigh, Will did a ton of manual labor and, according to people who knew him during that time, genuinely enjoyed the experience.

In her book Kate: The Future Queen, royal expert and biographer Katie Nicholl describes Will's time with the program:

"William coped very well, and what struck me about him was how normal he was," Hornsey said. "He said he wanted to be treated like everyone else, and he was. When you saw him cleaning the toilets, it wasn't for the cameras, he really did clean the lavatories."

And even though Will didn't do the work for the cameras, that doesn't mean cameras weren't there. Photographic evidence:

And, just for fun, a few other pictures of Will doing manual labor during his gap year time in Chile:

For more stories like this, including celebrity news, beauty and fashion advice, savvy political commentary, and fascinating features, sign up for the Marie Claire newsletter.

subscribe here

Kayleigh Roberts is a freelance writer and editor with over 10 years of professional experience covering entertainment of all genres, from new movie and TV releases to nostalgia, and celebrity news. Her byline has appeared in Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, The Atlantic, Allure, Entertainment Weekly, MTV, Bustle, Refinery29, Girls’ Life Magazine, Just Jared, and Tiger Beat, among other publications. She's a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.

RELATED STORIES