They say you're only as good as your word. If that’s the case, then the Prince of Wales is as good as they come. Over the years, Prince William has repeatedly shown that a promise is more than just words, it's a pledge he upholds. The heir to the throne proved that last month, when he traveled to Leeds to fulfill a promise he made to the late Rob Burrow almost two years ago.
"The Prince of Wales has a proven track record of keeping his promises, from honouring a commitment he made to the late rugby league star Rob Burrow and opening a Motor Neurone Disease Centre in his name in Leeds last month," Danielle Stacey, HELLO!'s Online Royal Correspondent says. "I think he has shown time and time his dedication to helping a cause or an organisation he feels passionate about. He has previously spoken about his role being more about ‘impact philanthropy, collaboration, convening, and helping people’ and approaching his duties with empathy."
'A man of honor'
While presenting Rob with his CBE in January of 2024, Prince William was asked by the former rugby star if he could open the Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease. On November 20, 2025, the future King kept his promise to Rob, who passed away in June of 2024, as he opened the purpose-built center dedicated to MND care, research, education and holistic support.
"Rob asked him if he'd open it and he said yes and he's kept his word," Rob’s father, Geoff, told reporters of the Prince. "He's a man of honor."
© Temilade Adelaja - WPA Pool/Getty ImagesPrior to the Prince’s arrival that day, Rob's widow, Lindsey, spoke about how William delivering on his promise to her late husband showed his kindness. "He's kept his word. To have him here today is a huge honor and privilege," she said, noting: "It shows his kindness and consideration."
William has said in the past that his guiding principles in life are to be honest, genuine, thoughtful and caring. Those principles were reflected in the way he honored Rob's request, along with other promises he has made and kept, including to a young boy who, like him, lost his mother at a young age.
A 'life-changing' promise to a young boy
During a visit to the charity Church on the Street with the Princess of Wales in 2022, Prince William met Deacon Glover. William, then-President of the Football Association, asked the 11-year-old, who was wearing a Nick Pope football jersey (via PEOPLE): "Would you like to see Nick Pope? Yeah? We'll see what we can do."
Less than a month later, the Prince of Wales arranged a meeting between Deacon and the goalkeeper at a football match. "It was such a wonderful moment for Deacon and seeing his face when he met Nick Pope was just wonderful," Deacon's great-grandmother Carole Ellis told the Burnley Express. "I had a real lump in my throat."
© Getty ImagesMick Fleming, who founded Church on the Street in Burnley, described the encounter as "life-changing" for Deacon. "This is going to be [life-changing] for Deacon. This will help him to break the cycle of life that's been around him," he said, via The Telegraph. "This was something so special, and I think what the Prince has done has given him hope for the future."
"It's phenomenal, what he has done, as it's not just meeting a footballer, it's a lot, lot deeper - it will help him," Pastor Fleming added. "The Prince has followed through with everything he said in the conversation that he had with him. He has honoured it, and that's amazing."
True to his word
The following year, the Prince of Wales followed through on another promise he made to a woman he met at a Buckingham Palace garden party. At the party in 2023, Wendy Simms invited William to visit the Rastafarian HQ in Moss Side.
© Oli Scarff-WPA Pool/Getty Images"Is he going to come to Moss Side, that's the question people want to know,” Wendy told the Manchester Evening News at the time. "I said, 'Of course he is'. I know he is going to come to Moss Side."
And he did. That November, William paid a visit to the Moss Side Millennium Powerhouse. "It's been a while Wendy, I told you I'd come and see you," the Prince told Wendy.
Believe him
Just as he kept his word to show up in Moss Side, William once vowed to individuals affected by the Grenfell Tower fire that he would "come back" after a visit with his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, following the blaze in June of 2017. "He said he's coming back," someone in the crowd was heard saying, prompting another individual to ask: "You actually believe that?"
© Dominic Lipinski - WPA Pool /Getty ImagesMonths later, in September, The Royal Foundation, then-called The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry, established the emotional support hub Support4Grenfell to provide mental health resources for the community affected by the Grenfell fire. William and Harry visited the hub, where they met with families who had been affected by the fire. The Prince and Princess of Wales have since met with Grenfell survivors on more than one occasion.
It's clear that William's words carry weight, and his actions speak even louder. Beyond personal promises, this extends to his work with homelessness and the environment. Discussing COP26 with the BBC in 2021, the Earthshot Prize founder remarked that "clever speak, clever words, but not enough action".
Through his actions, the future King has shown he is indeed a man of his word.
