Prince William penned a heartfelt letter to American skiing legend Lindsey Vonn following her devastating crash at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics in February.
The 43-year-old heir to the throne reached out to the athlete after watching her suffer a broken tibia just 13 seconds into the women's downhill final on February 8.
Ms Vonn, 41, had already sustained a torn ACL before the Games but chose to compete regardless.
William's letter was among numerous messages of support Ms Vonn received from high-profile figures, including David Beckham, NFL star Tom Brady and tennis champion Jannik Sinner.
Prince William penned heartfelt letter after devastating crash left Olympic skier with broken tibia
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In the typed letter dated February 16, the Prince of Wales commended the Olympic champion for her bravery and determination in attempting to race despite her existing injury.
He wrote: "The way you wrote about stepping into the start gate with courage and no regrets says so much about your resilience, and is one of the many reasons why you have been an inspiration to so many people throughout your illustrious career.
"I hope your recovery is as smooth and quick as possible in the months ahead."
Beneath the typed message, William added his "very best wishes" in handwritten blue ink.
Lindsey Vonn was airlifted to hospital after her crash, with the skier sustaining a broken leg | GETTYMs Vonn shared the contents of the letter in an interview with Vanity Fair published on Thursday, expressing surprise that the royal had been following her Olympic campaign.
"It means a lot," she said, noting the letter "took a long time to get to me" as it was sent by post rather than electronically.
Touched by the gesture, Ms Vonn revealed she had extended her own invitation to the Royal Family.
"I offered to ski with him and his family if they ever want to," she said. "Maybe in a while, but at some point."
Lindsey Vonn was left with a broken tibia
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The offer would include the Princess of Wales and the couple's three children: Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, seven.
Skiing holds particular significance for William and Catherine, who have enjoyed numerous private trips to the French Alps throughout their relationship.
Ms Vonn's recovery remains ongoing after she came perilously close to losing her left leg due to compartment syndrome, a dangerous condition where pressure builds inside the muscle, restricting blood flow and potentially causing permanent damage or amputation if not treated swiftly.
The 41-year-old underwent five operations in total following the accident, with the most critical being an emergency fasciotomy performed by Dr Tom Hackett, Team USA's head physician for skiing and snowboarding.
Lindsey Vonn revealed she had a third surgery after breaking her tibia during the downhill skiing final | INSTAGRAM: LINDSEY VONN
Dr Hackett, who happened to be in Italy at the time, carried out the procedure to relieve the dangerous pressure building in her leg.
"There was a very significant chance that she was going to lose all function of her leg, if not the leg itself," Dr Hackett explained to Vanity Fair.
Ms Vonn returned to her home in Park City, Utah, on March 1, nearly a month after the crash.
When asked about potentially competing again, she remained characteristically open-minded.
"I don't like to close the door on anything, because you just never know what's going to happen," she said, adding that her recovery would likely take an entire year.