Prince William Makes Moving Gesture for Rugby Star Rob Burrow’s Widow ArticlePure

Prince William is putting pen to paper for Lindsey Burrow’s upcoming memoir.

On Sept. 18, the widow of late U.K. rugby star and motor neuron disease advocate Rob Burrow unveiled the cover for her memoir, Take Care: A Memoir of Love, Family & Never Giving Up, and revealed that the Prince of Wales, 42, is writing the foreword.

“Take care will be published on the 27 February 2025 and I am happy to be able to share the cover with you. I’m honoured to say that the book features a forward written by HRH Prince William,” said a message from Lindsey and Rob’s shared account on X.

“Take care is a memoir of love, family and never giving up,” the message continued. “As well as telling our family story, I want it to highlight the work that so many carers in the U.K. are doing in the hope that it will give readers and families hope to overcome challenges in their own lives.”

In a rare royal response, Prince William and Kate Middleton’s team commented below the post with a blue heart emoji. 

The book jacket for the upcoming memoir features seven photos of Lindsey and Rob together, from their wedding day to family portraits with their three kids and a 2022 investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle, when Rob received a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) award, given by the royal family to individuals who have made a significant contribution to society.

The Burrows announced the memoir in May, sharing its title and 2025 publication date.

In 2019, two years after retiring from the Leeds Rhinos rugby team, Rob was diagnosed with motor neuron disease (MND) and made it his mission to campaign for funding for treatment of the disease. Lindsey became his caregiver while working as a physiotherapist for the National Health Service, raising their kids and supporting her husband in raising awareness around MND. 

The couple often campaigned alongside his friend and former Leeds Rhinos teammate Kevin Sinfield, and the trio raised over $19 million for charity, according to the Amazon page for Take Care.

Rob died at age 41 in June, a few months after Prince William surprised him and Sinfield with their CBEs at Headlingley Stadium, the home of the Leeds Rhinos. (The Commander of the Order of the British Empire is the highest-ranking award in the Order of the British Empire, excluding knighthoods and damehoods.) The friends, who played alongside each other from 2001 to 2015, were both awarded CBEs in King Charles’ 2024 New Years Honours List for their tireless work for the MND community. 

The Prince of Wales issued a personal message on X following Rob’s death, sending condolences to the Burrow family on behalf of himself and Princess Kate. 

“A legend of Rugby League, Rob Burrow had a huge heart,” Prince William wrote online at the time. “He taught us, ‘in a world full of adversity, we must dare to dream.’ Catherine and I send our love to Lindsey, Jackson, Maya and Macy.”

The heir to the throne signed the post “W,” using his first initial to signal that the message came directly from him.

Can’t get enough of PEOPLE’s Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!

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,” according to an excerpt from Penguin Random House.

“Told in Lindsey’s characteristically humble, charming and inspirational style, Take Care explores her life and shares her honest experiences of finding strength in the good and the bad times, in order to offer readers and families hope to overcome challenges in their own lives,” it continued.

The memoir will published in the U.K. on Feb. 27, 2025, and is available for pre-order now.