Can the 'William Effect' help save pubs? Future King's passion for a pint is 'boosting sales', royal expert claims - as Rachel Reeves U-turns on business rates
He may be the future king, but Prince William is still partial to a pint at his local boozer.'I absolutely love pubs,' proudly declared the Prince of Wales, as he sipped on a half of cider in The Goth pub during a recent trip to Scotland with his wife, Kate. Making his fondness for the good old British pub abundantly clear, William, 43, told fellow punters: 'I want to help pubs. This is the best place to come and get to know each other.'(Pubs are) the heart of the community. I grew up in pubs, I absolutely love pubs.'The prince's words of support come amid an incredibly tumultuous time for British pubs, who yesterday received the news that they will receive 15 per cent off their business rates bill from April following warnings of increased closures.In the Commons, Sir Mel described the 'partial U-turn' for pubs and music venues by Chancellor Rachel Reeves as 'far too little and far too late', while Reeves also risks backlash from other hospitality firms who have been excluded from the support.It comes as the future King has been spotted enjoying a pint at a number of pubs across the country. Most notably, in October he shared a drink at his local, Windsor's Two Brewers pub, with Schitt's Creek star Eugene Levy.Indeed, William's surprise appearance on Levy's show, The Reluctant Traveller, has even sparked a phenomenon dubbed 'The William Effect' - with dozens of royal fans flocking to get a seat at the so-called 'royal table' or 'King's corner'. Prince William (pictured sipping a pint in 2023) has publicly pledged to support pubs amid a challenging time. This has created the so-called 'William Effect' which royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams has described as 'pivotal' When William made a surprise appearance on Schitt's Creek star Eugene Levy's (right) show, The Reluctant Traveller, in October, the unlikely pair were spotted sharing a drink at his local - Windsor's Two Brewers pub. The episode has skyrocketed the small pub's revenueWhile affectionately dubbed 'One Pint Willy' by Mike Tindall as he is 'not the best of drinkers', the Prince of Wales still delights in enjoying the occasional pint as a way to relax and unwind. According to esteemed royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams, the impact of Britain's future King publicly pledging to support Britain's pubs is incredibly 'pivotal'. He added that the so-called 'William Effect' has helped 'support local pubs and enhance the spirit of community' while also 'boosting sales at a crucial time for these invaluable establishments'. Describing William and Eugene's interview as 'extremely significant', Mr Fitzwilliams told The Daily Mail: 'It was relaxed and over a pint in a quintessentially English setting and the interview had an appealing, spontaneous feel to it.''This pub has benefited enormously with an increase in visitors since,' he added.'It highlighted the pub as the ideal place to relax in. It was no accident that the Waleses followed it up with the visit to a Scottish pub.'Speaking to HELLO! Magazine, Stuart O'Brien, the pub's owner, described William's incredible visit to his venue as 'really good for business', with revenue skyrocketing as a result.Above the 'royal King's corner' where William and Eugene sat now hangs a plaque that reads: 'Here sat his Royal Highness The Prince of Wales and Eugene Levy on 4th February 2025, for the filming of Apple TV’s 'The Reluctant Traveller.'Stuart, who described the King as 'so down-to-earth' and 'so normal', also delighted in being allowed to snap a quick picture with William, which he now hangs proudly on display in the venue. William's comments come amid an incredibly tumultuous time for British pubs. Yesterday, it was announced that Chancellor Rachel Reeves (pictured) was granting pubs 15 per cent off their business rates bill from April following warnings of increased closures According to Mr Fitzwilliams, the so-called 'William Effect' has helped to both 'support local pubs and enhance the spirit of community' while also 'boosting sales at a crucial time for these invaluable establishments' Much to the delight and surprise of staff and punters, the future King was even pictured stopping in for a quick drink at a nearby Wetherspoons when undertaking an engagement in Birmingham in January 2025 Keen to talk to fellow Aston Villa fans, the generous Prince of Wales bought a round of beers for eight supporters of his beloved football team while he sipped on a pint of Bulmers cider for around half an hourMuch to the delight and surprise of staff and punters, the future King was even pictured stopping in for a quick drink at a nearby Wetherspoons when undertaking an engagement in Birmingham last January. Keen to talk to fellow Aston Villa fans, the generous Prince of Wales bought a round of beers for eight supporters of his beloved football team while he sipped on a pint of Bulmers cider for around half an hour.Yet this was also not the first time that the down-to-earth future King has delighted in sipping on a pint in a local boozer.In November, the future monarch left staff at a local country pub in the town of Mere stunned when he stopped by at a local pub, the Walnut Tree Inn, with his royal entourage.The prince, who had made a reservation for nine people, sat on a table with five members of his staff, while his three security guards occupied another table. William Friend-James, owner of the Walnut Tree Inn, told The Daily Mail that the Prince of Wales opted to order a homemade burger and fries, while also enjoying a lemonade.He added: 'Somebody asked for a photo and his security guards said no but then he walked to the loos by himself and Lisa asked him if he minded having a photo and he said yes.'It was a great pleasure to host him.' William has even been previously pictured pouring a pint and downing a whisky with Hollywood star Rob McElhenney at a pub in Wrexham, Wales, in honour of St David's Day In 2023, shortly before King Charles's coronation, the Prince and Princess of Wales travelled via tube to the historic Dog and Duck pub in Soho, taking time to pull pints and make light conversation with hospitality staff In November, the future monarch left staff at a local country pub in the town of Mere stunned when he stopped by at a local pub, the Walnut Tree Inn, with his royal entourage. The owner said he ordered a homemade burger and fries and a lemonadeIn March 2024, William was pictured pouring a pint and downing a whisky with Hollywood star Rob McElhenney at a pub in Wrexham, Wales, in honour of St David's Day. The Prince visited The Turf pub, next to Wrexham AFC – the world's oldest pub at a sports stadium, to chat to the players about the venue and to learn about how the club had changed since its takeover by Mr McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds. As he poured the pint, William said: 'Still got a horrible head on it, but there you go. This is why I don't work behind the bar.' He also told Mr McElhenney that he 'loves' cider.Mr Reynolds was absent from the royal meeting due to prior commitments related to the film Deadpool.When Mr McElhenney told William that Mr Reynolds had wanted to be there, the Prince quipped: 'Because Ryan's not here you can tell him I think Hugh Jackman is funnier.'In 2023, shortly before King Charles's coronation, the down-to-earth Prince and Princess of Wales travelled via tube to the historic Dog and Duck pub in Soho, taking time to pull pints and make light conversation with hospitality staff. Several Londoners were left in utter disbelief when they caught a rare sighting of the future King and Queen getting onboard the Elizabeth Line at Acton Main Line station.During their tour of the iconic London pub, founded in 1897, William poured the first pint of Kingmaker, a pale ale brewed specially to celebrate the coronation.'Expertly done,' pub manager Chris Watts praised the Prince. 'Not really,' William jokingly responded as he pulled the pump repeatedly. 'I've not got too much experience of pulling pints. I'm not too bad at drinking pints but pulling pints…'
