Prince William has an encounter with an ‘impressive’ female amateur boxer during a visit to a youth charity in Swindon.

Prince William met amateur boxers at a charity in Swindon this afternoon – but he didn’t get into the ring.

The Prince of Wales, 41, visited Swindon-based charity BEST – Be A Better You, set up in 2020 by local father Don Bryden after his daughter was exposed to criminal exploitation.

Don set up the charity to provide a positive experience for young people facing different social, emotional and mental health barriers, to help them take the steps they need to lead successful lives.

During the visit he met Don’s daughter Jess to hear about her personal story and how the charity helped turn her life around.

He chatted to Jess, who was demonstrating a workout – and although he didn’t put the gloves on himself, the Prince of Wales said his work was “really impressive”.

Elsewhere during the visit, William spoke to young people who, like Jess, have been supported by BEST.

Finally, the King heard from volunteers and staff about the programs they deliver at the charity and the positive impact they have on children in the local community.

On Thursday, the Prince and Princes of Wales welcomed Apple CEO Tim Cook to Windsor Castle to discuss “the environment, mental health and other issues.”

Cook, who took over as CEO of the tech giant in 2011 when founder Steve Jobs resigned, today posted two photographs from the meeting on X, formerly Twitter.

During his visit, the Prince of Wales met young people supported by the charity, as well as staff and volunteers.

Prince William said Jess was “impressive” when he got to know her at the Swindon charity centre.

Jess took part in a training session to show how she has benefited from the charity’s one-on-one coaching programmes.

The Prince of Wales posed for selfies during a visit to the charity which provides mental health support to young people

The Prince of Wales happily posed for photos with a volunteer from the Swindon-based charity.

On meeting Jess, a young boxer helped by the charity, Prince William said she was ‘very impressive’

Team photo! William took center stage during a snapshot of BEST staff and volunteers – Be a Better You

The charity was founded by Don Bryden (right) in 2020 after his daughter was exposed to criminal exploitation.

The businessman, 62, stood proudly alongside Prince William and Kate, both 41, in one of the images, with the princess looking stylish in a navy pinstripe Holland Cooper blazer of £549 and a cream turtleneck jumper.

“It was a true honor to meet the Prince and Princess of Wales. We had a wonderful and in-depth discussion about the environment, mental health and other issues that mean a lot to us all,” Cook wrote in his message.

William, dressed in a navy suit with a light blue shirt, appeared deep in conversation with the CEO in another photo from their meeting. Two bags that appeared to have the Apple logo printed on them were also spotted in the snap.

William previously partnered with Apple Fitness+ to record an episode of Time to Walk in December 2021.

Palace aides said it was William’s idea to take part in the series after hearing previous episodes. Other guests included country singer Dolly Parton, model Naomi Campbell and boxer Anthony Joshua.

For this episode, Apple made a six-figure donation to three charities chosen by William: Shout in the UK, Crisis Text Line in the US and Lifeline in Australia. All offer confidential mental health helplines. The UK charity offers a free text service to 85258.

The series was designed to encourage Apple Watches users to get outside and walk while listening. At William’s request, his episode was made available to everyone for free online, without the need for a subscription.

Today’s outing comes after it was announced that the Princess of Wales would not attend Prince William’s Earthshot Awards, in what was described as a “big blow” for organizers.

Kate will not travel to Singapore with her husband in November and will stay at home with Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, eight, and Prince Louis, five.

It is believed that the royal does not want to disrupt the children’s education during school term and is instead striving to have a “stable home life in preparation for their royal careers”, according to the Mirror.

The mother of three attended the previous two Earthshot Awards in Boston and London.

MailOnline has contacted Kensington Palace for comment.

Prince William founded the awards in 2020, saying he wanted to transform “current pessimism around environmental issues into optimism by celebrating the people and places driving change.”

Each year between 2021 and 2030, an awards ceremony will recognize winners in the five award categories who create innovations that address environmental challenges. Each winner receives £1 million to support and expand their work.