Prince William lets it loose before Glasgow 2026

The Prince of Wales delighted children with a surprise visit to the London Welsh School in Hanwell on Tuesday as he helped build excitement ahead of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.

Joining little folks in sending their best wishes to Team Wales, Prince William embraced the sporting spirit by taking part in a series of fun activities.

The future King was pictured trying his hand at bowls using a score wedge before passing a netball around the classroom, sharing plenty of smiles and laughter throughout the visit.

One of the biggest highlights of this day however came when Prince William met Finnie, the official mascot of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.

The unicorn, inspired by Scotland's national animal and designed with input from 76 schoolchildren across Glasgow, has become the cheerful face of the Games and is expected to make appearances at schools and community events in the run-up to the competition.

Finnie's design celebrates Glasgow's culture, featuring a traffic-cone horn inspired by the city's famous Duke of Wellington statue and a friendship bracelet created by local pupils.

Following the visit, Prince William shared moments from the day on his Instagram story, giving royal fans a behind-the-scenes glimpse of his interactions.

The visit comes just weeks before Glasgow welcomes more than 3,000 athletes from 74 Commonwealth nations and territories for the 2026 Commonwealth Games, which will run from 23 July to 2 August.

The Games will feature 10 sports and six para-sports across four venues, with Team Wales hoping to make a strong impression on the international stage.