Prince William Parties In Wrexham Without Kate Middleton Amid Her Surgery Recovery

As Catherine, Princess of Wales takes her time recovering from abdominal surgery, her husband William, Prince of Wales has been moving forward with his royal duties. He attended a charity gala and chatted with Tom Cruise, as well as donned a tux for the BAFTA Awards. It wasn't until he had planned to do a reading in late February, honoring the late King Constantine of Greece, that his schedule hit a bump.

Kensington Palace released a statement that Willian would be skipping his godfather's royal memorial service, citing a "personal matter." His abrupt absence caused the public to speculate about what was going on behind the scenes, and what it might have to do with Kate. When all sorts of wild theories began popping up with no end in sight, Kensington Palace released another statement that confirmed the princess was still "doing well." 

Well enough, it seems, that days later, Prince William headed to Wales on March 1 in honor of St. David's Day, with an agenda geared toward celebrating all things Welsh. While his visit included such docile and properly royal duties as visiting a school and watching children sing traditional Welsh folk songs, he also indulged in decidedly more adult activities, like pouring cider from the tap and doing a shot of whiskey — quite a different scene from a memorial service.

During his visit to Wales on March 1, Prince William stopped in the town of Wrexham to visit the stomping grounds of Wrexham AFC, the soccer team made famous by the FX series "Welcome to Wrexham." The Wrexham Red Dragons are also known for having two famous owners: actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. While Reynolds was doing Hollywood things, McElhenney took on the role of tour guide, starting William off at The Turf pub, located inside the club's grounds.

After sharing that he loved cider, the prince poured himself a too-foamy pint, then tried again with similar results. "This is why I don't work behind the bar," he joked, with his lack of bartender skills being caught on camera by BBC. McElhenney, who also co-owns the Irish whiskey brand Four Walls with his "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" co-stars, suggested something easier to pour — a shot of his whiskey. "That's a better idea," Prince William agreed. "I like the stronger stuff."

After throwing back the shot, the two (accompanied by Wayne Jones, landlord of The Turf, at left in top photo), walked next door to check out the soccer field, where the club gave the heir to the British throne his very own "William" jersey. Before he entered the stadium, the prince was asked how Catherine was. William didn't reply.