'I want to see the real Blackpool' - Prince William wanted to see more than flag waving on the Prom on visit

Prince William’s former right hand man has revealed how the heir to the throne demanded to see the real face of Blackpool when he visited the resort in 2019.

Lord Simon Case served as William’s private secretary from 2018 to 2020 and says his request to areas of the town other than the glitz of The Prom showed his desire to experience what living in a deprived community was like.

In an interview in the Telegraph, Lord Charles says William encouraged his team to avoid the conventional royal schedule of visits.

He said: "He felt it was really important to be exposed to every part of life," he said, suggesting it was likely something "his mother instilled in him and his brother at a young age."

According to Lord Case, that approach was particularly illustrated on his trip to Blackpool, where William sought to spend time in one of the nation's most disadvantaged areas to gain a deeper appreciation of the challenges people encountered.

"We were really going to go somewhere where it wasn't going to be rope lines of waving Union Jacks," Lord Case said. He said Blackpool was deliberately selected due to its social and economic struggles, including a substantial population of ex-offenders and neighbourhoods grappling with a challenging economic outlook.

The visit also included witnessing first-hand the living conditions endured by many local residents. Lord Case recalled that local officials were eager to spruce up some of the accommodation ahead of William's arrival, clearing away evidence of drug use and other signs of deprivation.

William, however, insisted that nothing should be concealed. "There was this great temptation for people locally to go in and clean up all of the used needles and things like that that were sort of all over the floors of some of the housing."

Lord Case said the response from William's team was: "No, no, don't do that. It's actually really important that they see what life is actually like." Lord Case described William as personable, approachable and someone who genuinely valued those working around him.

He said: "He was very personable behind closed doors, very relaxed, really caring about the team, but also very open to challenge and really wanted a real team ethos."

Hundreds of people welcomed William and Kate on their Blackpool visit on March 6, 2019. They were in the resort to see health and social problems facing the town - as well as some of its famous landmarks. Despite the rain, crowds waited hours on the promenade to see the pair who started their trip at Blackpool Tower.

They were also taken to some of the resort's most deprived areas to see the regeneration work being done there.

They kicked off the tour at the Tower, where they looked at a giant mirror, unveiled by the Princess of Wales in 1992 to mark the opening of Tower World, which Prince William described as "fantastic" and "amazing". They then went to a briefing on the resort's challenges, such as economic decline.

The prince said Blackpool was "once a jewel in the crown of the British tourism industry" before people began to travel further afield for their holidays. He spoke of high unemployment rates but also highlighted "brilliant schemes", including a new enterprise zone.

The royal couple were shown around a housing project in Kirby Road. Blackpool Housing Company has bought several dilapidated properties in the area and refurbished them to rent. They also met recovering drug addicts who explained how an initiative had helped them get their lives back on track.