There’s one wintery tradition that I’ll never wrap my head around – the Nordic habit of plunging into freezing water. I mean, seriously? Swimming in icy lakes and rivers? Count me out. It turns out, though, that not everyone shares my aversion to hypothermia-inducing aquatic escapades. Case in point, the Princess of Wales herself, who apparently can’t resist the allure of a polar bear plunge.
So, imagine my surprise when I stumbled upon this nugget of royal wisdom from People Magazine. Evidently, they’ve been eavesdropping on Kate and William’s appearance on Mike Tindall’s rugby podcast, which dropped back in September. You see, the royal couple decided to pop in for a chat as the Rugby World Cup kicked off in France. Prince William, Princess Kate, and Princess Anne are patrons of various rugby unions, each representing their own slice of the British Isles – the Welsh, English, and Scottish, respectively.
Now, the real kicker is that Princess Kate let slip that taking a dip in frigid waters is an integral part of her fitness routine. Even though her dear husband, Prince William, is not exactly on board with this particular plunge party. Picture this: they’re on a podcast with Princess Anne, and Kate starts gushing about her love for cold swimming.
“The colder, the better. I absolutely love it,” she gleefully proclaims. “Slightly to the point where William’s like, ‘Catherine, you’re crazy.’ And it’s dark, and it’s raining.”
Oh, Kate, you fearless winter mermaid, you!
But the story doesn’t end there. It turns out, Kate is so dedicated to her frosty swims that she’s even got herself a special robe to cozy up in afterward. I mean, who needs a fluffy bathrobe when you can have a post-ice-bath fashion statement, right?
During a meet-and-greet with well-wishers in Wales, Kate spilled the beans about her frosty fashion, all prompted by a fellow robe-wearer trying to stay warm in the rain.
“She said she wears one of them when she goes cold water swimming,” shared a local mom, Alison Cheeke. So there you have it – royal robe goals, brought to you by Kate Middleton.
Now, before you start thinking Kate’s a few icicles short of a snowman, it’s worth mentioning that there’s some science behind this madness. Harvard Public Health claims that cold water swimming might actually have some mental health perks to go along with the physical exercise, though the evidence is about as mixed as a cocktail at the North Pole.
Sure, plenty of athletes swear by ice baths and cryochambers for recovery, but Kate seems to be taking a more down-to-earth approach. I mean, does Prince William even care about all this? His wife’s out there, swimming in the frigid dark, rain pelting down, and he’s probably just sipping tea in the cozy castle, not even flinching at her polar plunge adventures. Talk about a royal chill-pill!