The Iceland chairman, who the Princess of Wales called ‘super fit’ during a store visit, is an adventure sports lover who has become known for his outspoken stance on social and environmental issues and hopes to become a Tory MP.
Richard Walker caught Kate’s attention with his toned physique as he discussed his upcoming charity climb of Everest to raise money for an Alzheimer’s charity – prompting the royal to reveal her flirty side as she praised his physique.
The 42-year-old, whose father Malcolm founded the frozen food chain and boasts an estimated £250million family fortune, officially took over as executive chairman at the start of the year after previously serving as managing director.
Mr Walker, who has two children with his wife, Rebecca, studied geography at Durham before qualifying as a Chartered Surveyor. After a period working in property, he joined the family firm in 2013 as its international business director.
In 2018, Mr Walker made headlines when Iceland pledged to stop using single-use plastic in its packaging by 2023. His 2021 book The Green Grocer revealed his ideas about ethical capitalism and won praise from the campaigner Chris Packham.
Iceland boss Richard Walker, 42, who was praised by the Princess of Wales for being ‘super fit’ ahead of his charity climb of Mount Everest, is incredibly active in his private life and celebrated his 40th birthday surfing in Cornwall (pictured)
The Princess of Wales chatted with Mr Walker in a branch of the supermarket in Aylesbury
Mr Walker previously revealed one of his favourite hobbies is climbing, and posted a photo of himself scaling rocks in Anglesey on Instagram
The businessman has also become a frequent commentator on social issues, blasting Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak for their ‘half-baked’ response to the cost of living crisis.
Mr Walker’s bid to combine ‘profit with purpose’ at Iceland has won him praise, and led to an OBE for services to business and the environment in the 2022 Birthday Honours.
But he has experienced some setbacks along the way. Last year he admitted he would fail to achieve his target to make Iceland plastic free, telling the Guardian it would be a ‘very, very big ask’.
However, he stuck to his guns and said he had no regrets about making the pledge, claiming that he wanted his workforce to aim high.
While he claims to drive an electric car, he has also come in for criticism for alleged ‘hypocrisy’ over the use of a company helicopter while touting the firm’s commitment to sustainability.
As Mr Walker chatted to the Princess of Wales in a discussion as part of her Shaping Us campaign, he looked at ease in the company of royalty – which might, in part, be down to the fact he has met with senior royals before.
In 2021 the businessman – who is also chair of campaign group Surfers Against Sewage – showed King Charles around an Iceland store in Deeside, Wales, to discuss the business during the pandemic.
The King and Mr Walker were pictured walking through the aisle wearing face coverings, signalling the risk of Covid infection remained high at the time.
He also attended Buckingham Palace with his father at his investiture ceremony in 2017.
Richard Walker is not just boss of Iceland but also Chairman of Surfers against Sewage
Richard Walker caught Kate’s attention with his toned physique as he discussed his upcoming charity climb of Everest to raise money for an Alzheimer’s charity
The Iceland executive chair is the son of Sir Malcolm Walker, who founded Iceland in 1970 (father and son pictured on Father’s Day)
During the discussion with Kate, which took place in the Iceland store in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, last month, the chair of the supermarket chain was praised by the Princess of Wales for his dedication to fundraising – and for being in great shape.
Mr Walker, whose mother Lady Walker passed away last year from early-onset Alzheimer’s, has a great love of the outdoors, surfing and rock-climbing whenever he can.
However, while his social media presence is active, he keeps much of his family life private, revealing little about his wife and children.
Mr Walker revealed he would soon be embarking on the charity drive to reach the summit of the world’s tallest peak – but the active businessman added it wasn’t his first time climbing Mount Everest.
Mr Walker explained that, after his mother was first diagnosed with Alzheimer’s 12 years ago, he and his father first tried to ascend the peak and managed to reach the halfway point, raising £1 million for charity.
He joked: ‘We were exactly the sort of people you hear about who have no business being on the mountain.’
However, Mr Walker’s Instagram account begs to differ, as he appears to spend as much time outdoors as possible.
On his 40th birthday, he celebrated the milestone by taking a dip in the waves in Cornwall, posting a photo on Instagram against what looked like a chilly background.
Looking windswept in his wetsuit, he stood on top of a cliff while holding his surfboard and smiled while making a surfing gesture with his hand.
In the caption, he joked that it was ’30 mile winds and driving rain’ – but he still looked thrilled to be there.
Mr Walker (pictured) chatted to the Princess of Wales about the Shaping Us campaign as part of her early years crusade
A family photo showing the businessman when he was younger with his mother
Mr Walker joining an Iceland delivery driver doing his rounds
Another Instagram post shows the Iceland boss scaling a cliff-face in north Wales in slightly sunnier conditions – while wearing all the safety gear, of course.
Pictured in a bright orange helmet as he scaled the cliff, he captioned the photo: ‘Awesome day sea cliff climbing’ and revealed he was in Anglesey – which happens to be one of the Princess of Wales’s favourite places.
Last year, in an interview with the Guardian, Mr Walker revealed he uses exercise to unwind – even when he’s on holiday.
He told the newspaper his last trip abroad had been cross-country skiing in Norway, and said his favourite activities were ‘trail-running, surfing and climbing’.
Elsewhere on his Instagram page, Mr Walker regularly pays tribute to his family – particularly his mother and father.
In a sweet father’s day picture posted in 2021, he posed for a photo with Sir Malcolm Walker as the pair clinked their glasses while dining al-fresco.
He wrote: ‘Happy Dad’s Day’ as the caption.
The Iceland boss also paid sweet tribute to his mother after she died following her Alzheimer’s battle.
On the day of her funeral, he posted an old photo of Lady Walker in her younger years which had been featured during the service.
He explained it had been brought by one of his mother’s ‘oldest school friends’, and noted that, in the photo, she displayed a ‘glowing sense of fun and mischief – something I’ve always held onto.’
He added: ‘You were shining down on us today Mamma.’
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