Prince William shares George’s water woes during scuba-club visit

Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, sometimes struggle as first-time parents, and they’re not afraid to talk about it.

William on Wednesday highlighted the latest woe for the self-deprecating British royals, who have frequently shared their trials in raising Prince George, who turns 1 year old on July 22.

“For the moment bath time [with George] is quite painful, but I imagine as he gets a little bit older, donning a mask and snorkel might calm him down,” the first-time dad confessed to members of the British Sub-Aqua Club, the UK’s governing body for scuba diving. William was visiting London’s Oasis Sports Center with his father, Prince Charles.

Charles, who took the presidency of the club from his father Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, handed off his 40-year tenure to his eldest son in May. On Wednesday, Wills donned a wetsuit and snorkel gear to swim with several youths.

Despite George’s aversion to water, William added that he hoped his son “might follow in our footsteps” and one day take over the presidency just as he had.

Or maybe use Charles’ idea of a swimming lesson as an example.

“I can only assume that [Willliam’s] interest probably stems from the fact that I threw him into the swimming pool on many occasions,” Charles said. “Instead of putting him off, it actually enthused him, so I’m thrilled that he has decided to carry on the tradition started really by my father.”

The hand-off comes as part of an effort to attract younger water enthusiasts to the club. (We can all agree that seeing Wills instead of Charles in a wetsuit is a much more inviting proposition. Also, turns out that Queen Elizabeth’s eldest son did not know the meaning of the term “buff” and needed his son to explain it to him.)

In other royal news, George and his parents are the cover stars on the August issue of Vanity Fair, offering an insider’s look at the little prince’s first year. The feature piles on plenty more anecdotes about parenting the third in line to the British throne, including the tot’s bout with colic.

“Kate expressed relief that George behaved well during his first few public appearances,” writes VF contributor Katie Nicholl. “For the first few months the prince cried loudly and frequently, and he was not sleeping through the night. Nanny Jessie Webb tried hard to get him into a routine, but the baby prince, who was still breastfeeding, was permanently hungry.”

Apparently, it was “only in the new year when Kate introduced solids, that George finally slept through the night.”

On Saturday, Willliam, Catherine and Prince Harry surprised the people of West Tanfield, a small North Yorkshire village, as thousands of people gathered there to watch the Tour de France. Catherine cut the ribbon before the start of the race and the royal trio met with competitors.

Then on Monday, the Cambridges took in another Wimbledon match, watching the men’s singles final between Roger Federer of Switzerland and Novak Djokovic of Serbia.

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