Kate Middleton jokes about buying Prince William a Spiderman suit in sweet phone call with cosplay Hold Still finalist

Kate Middleton shared a hilarious visual of Prince William dressed as Spiderman when chatting to a finalist of Hold Still, her Covid-19 photography book

Kate Middleton jokes about buying William a Spiderman suit EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND - MAY 27: Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge attend a Beating of the Retreat at the Palace of Holyroodhouse on May 27, 2021 in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Photo by Jane Barlow-WPA Pool/Getty Images)
(Image credit: Jane Barlow-WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Kate Middleton joked about dressing Prince William up as Spiderman during a recent phone call, and we're already imagining him kitted out in the buff red suit. 


Kate Middleton is thinking about dressing Prince William up as Spiderman—and we can't say we're opposed to the idea. 

The Duchess of Cambridge made the hilarious suggestion when speaking to Jason Baird, one of the finalists chosen for her photography book, Hold Still: A Portrait of our Nation in 2020. 

Jason submitted a photo of himself dressed as Spiderman to the exhibition, which features 100 photos capturing snapshots of people's lives Covid-19 pandemic. The 34-year-old athlete is shown flipping mid-air in front of a group of children in his Stockport neighborhood—a performance he hoped would bring smiles to their faces during the depths of lockdown. The image struck a chord with Kate, who praised it for creating 'community spirit' at an incredibly difficult time for people. 

The duchess contacted the Mancunian martial artist in autumn to thank him for his contribution to her exhibition, and to find out more about the story behind the image. 

"So tell me, how did you come up with the idea of dressing up as Spiderman?" she asked. 

"When we [Jason and one of his martial arts coaches, Andrew] heard the news that you were only allowed out for an hour a day...it was more a case of, we wanted to try and cheer the kids up," the dad-of-two revealed. 

What started as a lowkey venture of 'small jogs' and 'small runs' quickly attracted a loyal fanbase. The local area was soon swept by Spiderman fever, with children everywhere desperate to catch a glimpse of the real-life superhero. 

STOCKPORT, ENGLAND - APRIL 01: Jason Baird dressed as Spider-Man walks the streets of Bredbury to cheer-up children self isolating at home on April 01, 2020 in Stockport, United Kingdom. The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has spread to many countries across the world, claiming over 40,000 lives and infecting hundreds of thousands more. (Photo by Anthony Devlin/Getty Images)

Jason Baird dressed as Spiderman and entertaining children in Stockport 

(Image credit: Anthony Devlin/Getty Images)

"They were playing Spiderman out the window, they were dressing up as Spiderman," Jason said. Some children even hung up signs saying "Spiderman, stop here" to ensure they didn't miss the exciting performance. 

Jason and Andrew did the cosplay run every day for an hour, delighting kids (and adults!) all over Stockport from the safety of the pavement. 

Kate was clearly inspired by Jason's idea, musing on the prospect of welcoming some superhero magic onto her own turf. 

"I'll see if it takes on the trend to Kensington Palace," she said. It was at this point that she considered dressing the Duke of Cambridge up as Spiderman so he could join Jason on his action-packed adventures—a decision we're not too sure he'd agree to. 

"Might have to buy William a suit," she quipped. "Unfortunately, I'm not so sure if he's going to get the air clearance that you've got!" 

The hilarious suggestion was supported by Jason, who immediately replied, "That would be amazing!" 

While we wouldn't hold out on seeing Prince William scale Buckingham Palace any time soon, the duke isn't exactly averse to physical challenges. He got competitive last week on a tennis court in Edinburgh, showing off his ball skills in a friendly match against Kate at a sports program for children. The future king is also known for his love of football, having spoken out against the Super League proposal last month. 

Emma Dooney
Lifestyle News Writer

Hailing from the lovely city of Dublin, Emma mainly covers the Royal Family and the entertainment world, as well as the occasional health and wellness feature. Always up for a good conversation, she has a passion for interviewing everyone from A-list celebrities to the local GP - or just about anyone who will chat to her, really.


Emma holds an MA in International Journalism from City, University of London, and a BA in English Literature from Trinity College Dublin.