Prince William’s touching move of support for inspirational Rob Burrow’s widow revealed

Prince William’s touching move of support for inspirational Rob Burrow’s widow revealed
Lindsay Burrow, who was married to inspirational Motor Neurone Disease campaigner and former rugby league legend Rob Burrow, has written a memoir – and Prince William has made a touching act of support for the project

Prince William has made a touching gesture of support for Rob Burrow’s widow – three months after the inspirational campaigner’s tragic death.

It has emerged that the Prince of Wales has written the foreword to a memoir by Lindsay Burrow about her life with the motor neurone disease (MND) campaigner. She has penned the book Take Care: A Memoir of Love, Family & Never Giving Up, which is due to be published next week.

It comes after William paid a personal tribute to the “legend of rugby league” Burrow, a Mirror Pride of Britain winner, after his death from the disease in June. He was diagnosed with MND barely two years after ending his stellar playing career, but refused to give up the fight and threw himself into raising awareness of the condition and help raise funds to find a cure.

The prince, who surprised Burrow and former teammate Kevin Sinfield by presenting them with their CBEs for services to MND awareness in January, said about Burrow: “He taught us ‘in a world full of adversity, we must dare to dream’.”

During the visit to Leeds earlier this year to meet the two former rugby league players, William also met the campaigner’s wife and is said to have been moved by how she was handling such a difficult situation with strength and positivity.

Publicity for the book states: “Take Care: A Memoir of Love, Family & Never Giving Up explores the deepest reserves of resilience, personal sacrifice and hope that Lindsey Burrow exhibited on a daily basis when her family’s life was upended by the terminal MND diagnosis.

William presents Rob with his CBE in January
William presents Rob with his CBE in January
“Juggling her day job for the NHS as a physiotherapist, with round-the-clock care for Rob, who couldn’t move or talk, and could only eat with Lindsey’s assistance, she simultaneously raised her brilliant young family and helped to raise awareness for MND.”

William’s meeting with Rob earlier this year before his death not only saw him present him and Kevin with their CBEs, but he also got the opportunity to meet the Burrow family and share a joke with the former rugby league legend. The meeting came just weeks after the prince’s nickname was revealed on Rob’s podcast Seven when he welcomed William’s cousin Zara Tindall onto his show along with her former rugby player husband Mike.

And Mike was warned he was in “so much trouble” after he revealed that he calls the Prince of Wales, ‘One Pint Willy’. Mike made the admission after Rob said was keen to know if the pair have any nicknames for each other or other members of the Royal Family, including William, Kate, King Charles or Queen Camilla.

And speaking about William, Mike revealed: “For the Prince of Wales, he is known as One Pint Willy. He is known to me as One Pint Willy because he is not the best of drinkers, coming from a sport where it is built on the social aspect and a couple of beers being sunk quite often. That is one I will definitely give away for the Prince of Wales.” However, after the revelation, a giggling Zara warned her husband: “Oh my god. You are in so much trouble.”

So when Rob welcomed William to Leeds, he alluded to the secrets Mike had told him on his podcast and it prompted William to say as he giggled: “It was you who got the nicknames out of him – he apologised to me about that. When I saw him, I said Mike, when you’re not going to mention your nicknames doesn’t mean you mention mine, it’s not fair’. I’m sure it’s quite fun with Mike.”

William also spoke with Kevin and Rob about their days with Leeds Rhinos, where they won a string of trophies together. He also chatted to families from across the UK and Ireland, who have been impacted by MND, and those raising funds for the Rob Burrow Centre for MND, which will be a purpose-built centre at the Seacroft Hospital in Leeds for those battling the the illness.

The prince told Rob: “The most amount of thank yous and congratulations for all the inspirational work you’ve done Rob, you’ve been amazing and everyone’s so proud of you. We’ve been following your case and all the money you’ve been raising, and you’re changing people’s lives with MND.”