Prince William (43) is supporting the rescue of a pub. According to the BBC, the British heir to the throne has donated 1,000 pounds (approximately 1,154 euros) to the Semington Community Benefit Society. The organization wants to purchase the Somerset Arms near Melksham in the county of Wiltshire, which has been closed since 2023, and reopen it as a meeting place for the village community. The purchase price is 395,000 pounds (approximately 455,910 euros).
In addition to the financial help, the British heir to the throne also reportedly sent a personal letter to the initiators. In it, he described rural pubs as important meeting places for the community that contribute so much to the social fabric of our country.
William is supposed to pull a pint
The support from the royal household is met with enthusiastic reactions from citizens. Andy Cobley, deputy chairman of the citizens' initiative, spoke of an enormous boost for the initiative. Residents are surprised and pleased about the attention the project is receiving as a result. We are incredibly excited and overwhelmed, he emphasized.
The campaign had previously publicly called for Prince William to pull the first beer after a successful rescue of the pub. In his response letter, the royal showed himself open to this idea. I look forward to stopping by, pulling a pint, and celebrating your success, he is quoted by the BBC.
According to the organization, there have been funding commitments of around 194,710 pounds so far. An additional approximately 4,290 pounds was raised through a crowdfunding campaign.
A great advocate for pubs
That Prince William supports the residents' plans is not surprising. Just recently, during a pub visit in Peckham, he emphasized how important pubs are for the community. I love pubs, he said. I want to do as much as I can to support pubs because I love the community. We need to protect our pubs.
