Prince William Calls Princess Kate “Crazy” for Taking Part in This Extreme Workout

“I absolutely love it,” Kate said.

Kate Middleton at a royal engagement
(Image credit: Getty Images)

It’s no secret that the Princess of Wales enjoys a good workout, but there’s one exercise routine that’s a bridge too far for her husband, Prince William—cold swimming.

On a joint appearance (along with Princess Anne) on Mike Tindall’s “The Good, the Bad, & The Rugby” podcast, Kate spoke about the importance of being active, and revealed one of her current fitness endeavors is cold swimming. “The colder, the better,” she said. “I absolutely love it. Slightly to the point where William’s like, ‘Catherine, you’re crazy.’ And it’s dark, and it’s raining.” 

Prince William and Kate Middleton competing against one another

(Image credit: Getty)

Per People, while meeting well-wishers in Wales earlier this year, Kate spoke about wearing a robe after her swims: “She said she wears one of them when she goes cold water swimming,” local Alison Cheeke said. Why cold swimming? An article from Harvard Public Health said that cold water swimming is believed to provide both mental health benefits and physical exercise, although, admittedly, evidence is mixed.

Prince William and Kate Middleton on The Good, The Bad, & The Rugby Podcast

(Image credit: The Good, The Bad, & The Rugby Podcast)

In addition to cold water swimming, Kate stays in shape by playing tennis and jumping on the trampoline with her three children before school—which even resulted in a recent minor hand injury for the princess.

Rachel Burchfield
Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor

Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.