Prince William Grabs Drink With Major TV Star Amid Kate Middleton’s Health Scare

Prince William is back to work, and he seemed to be enjoying it on Friday when he shared a drink with actor Rob McElhenney. The Prince of Wales visited The Turf Pub in Wrexham and drank a shot with McElhenney in photos published by PEOPLE. In spite of the holiday celebrations and McElhenney’s star power, commenters still wondered about the prince’s wife, Kate Middleton above all else.

McElhenney purchased the Wrexham Association Football Club in 2021 with fellow American actor Ryan Reynolds, and the docuseries Welcome to Wrexham depicted their takeover of the long-standing club. On Friday, McElhenney made sure he was on the scene to greet Prince William, though Reynolds was reportedly busy editing Deadpool and Wolverine. With reporters and photographers looking on, the prince got behind the bar to pour a drink and even take a shot with McElhenney and the pub’s owner, Wayne Jones. They drank McElhenney’s brand, Four Walls Whiskey with a “cheers” from the prince.

“Happy Saint David’s Day,” McElhenney added after drinking his shot. Saint David’s Day is a Welsh holiday and is not generally celebrated in the U.S. It is a feast day in honor of the Patron Saint of Wales, David, who died in the year 589 AD. Prince William put up a relaxed front, but he worked through the holiday visit as well. He made sure to greet the pub staff, community members and representatives of various charities while there, mostly listening to their concerns and input on local and national issues.

Prince William accompanied McElhenney next door to the stadium where he was gifted a Wrexham jersey and discussed the club’s unique status now that it is owned by Americans. From there, he went on to other public engagements in the area, including a visit to the local elementary school where he received a bouquet of flowers. He said: “I’ll pass those on to Catherine as well.”

Middleton was hospitalized in January for a “planned abdominal surgery.” According to royal family spokespeople, the operation was successful but Middleton’s recovery will keep her out of the public eye until at least Easter. That meant postponing some previous engagements, indicating that the recovery is taking longer than expected. Details on her condition have not been disclosed, and royal admirers have grown increasingly concerned for her in recent weeks. Many conspiracy theories are flourishing online, but none have been supported by official statements. The latest word from Kensington Palace says that Middleton is still on track to return to work next month.