King Charles visits the Global Underwater Hub in Sept. 2023; Charles diving in Canada in 1975.Photo:Jane Barlow - WPA Pool/Getty;PA Images via Getty
Jane Barlow - WPA Pool/Getty;PA Images via Getty
King Charlesis a man of many hobbies…and a surprise scuba diver!
The Global Underwater Hub is the leading trade and industry development body for the underwater sectors in the United Kingdom and represents businesses operating in the U.K.’s $9.7 billion underwater industry. The organization’s office is an hour’s drive fromBalmoral Castle, where the King andQueen Camillamight have spent the week following theirthree-day state visitto France.
In honor of the surprise stop, the royal family recapped some of the sovereign’s past scuba diving adventures — and revealed a rare fact!
“Did you know that The King is the first British monarch to be a qualified diver? In 1975, His Majesty undertook a half-hour dive under Arctic ice at Resolute Bay, Canada,” courtiers wrote on X, posting a throwback photo of Charles suited up in scuba gear for the icy dive.
“Years later, The King dived underwater onto the Mary Rose, Henry VIII’s warship, nine times before it was raised from the seabed in 1982,” read a second message, along with a shot from one of Charles’ diving excursions.
While the King’s interests ingardening,organic farmingand the outdoors are well-known, his scuba skills remain more under the radar — but he’s passed down the passion to his sons,Prince WilliamandPrince Harry.
Prince William and Kate Middleton attend the Platinum Jubilee Sailing Regatta in Nassau, Bahamas in March 2022.Chris Jackson/Getty
“On Sunday, we were lucky enough to spend time diving at South Water Caye, directly above the spectacular Belize Barrier Reef. It was a privilege to see for ourselves the world-leading ocean conservation work being done here,” they captioned the clip on Instagram.
Cameras captured Gabriel George and Prince Harry’s scuba diving adventure for Heart of Invictus, now streaming on Netflix.Courtesy of Netflix
Courtesy of Netflix
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Camera crews also tagged along for the Duke of Sussex’s scuba dive with George, which is featured in Heart of Invictus (spoiler alert!). George’s right arm was paralyzed in a 2008 motorcycle accident, later leading to an amputation. Hetold PEOPLEthat diving is uniquely therapeutic for his chronic shoulder pain, as the plunge provides relief and release.
“I got to talk a lot about that with Harry. He was able to understand and to relate,” he told PEOPLE.
“Once he hit the water, it was like I had another buddy. Swimming around, having a good time. You could see the smiles through the bubbles and all that stuff,” he says of the adventure with the Duke of Sussex.
source: people.com
