Prince William’s adorable video helping student explain why she was late for class goes viral

BELFAST, UNITED KINGDOM: Prince William is staying true to his intention of making the monarchy relevant to the younger generation after he oozed out “positive vibes” during his latest stop for a college visit in Northern Ireland. 

The 42-year-old Prince of Wales, who previously vowed to do it with “a smaller R in the royal,” recently completed his Ulster University visit with an act that resonated with his younger fans, making a TikTok video. 

The heir to the British throne was present at Ulster University on Thursday, November 14, where he made an adorable cameo at a college student’s TikTok while helping her formulate a perfect excuse for being late to class.

Prince William’s interaction with college student goes viral

The Prince of Wales recently visited the university in Belfast, Northern Ireland, as a part of his Homewards project, where his interactions with the students are going viral. 

Though the royal does not have an official TikTok account, Prince William understood the assignment right when the student asked him to make a video for her professor explaining why she was late for the class. 

In the video shared by Samantha Johnson on her TikTok, which has quickly gone viral, a group of young students can be seen standing surrounding the prince. 

At the beginning of the video, Johnson addressed the royal and said with a laugh, "Yeah, just tell her why we're late," before focusing the camera on Prince William.

William played along as he said after double checking the professor’s name, "Lesley, I'm very sorry we're late, but they seem to be caught up, and they wouldn't believe that you were here, so, just wanted to say hi."

The royal’s good-natured quip made the young people laugh, as Johnson shared the video on TikTok with the caption, "POV — Prince William gives you the best excuse for being late.”

Later, in an interview with People, Johnson gushed about her meeting with Prince William, saying, "He really took a genuine interest in all of our interests and future plans. Honestly, gave the most positive vibes and seems like such a sweet, kind-hearted individual.”

She also praised the prince’s passionate involvement in his project directed towards eradicating homelessness, as she noted that Prince William “even took time to tell us about his plans to help the homeless to spread awareness."

Johnson further mentioned that Prince William was "one of the nicest people I've met, genuinely takes care in trying to get to know you. Didn't expect him to be so sound. He's literally adorable."

In the comment section when another user asked her whether she got away with the excuse, Johnson replied, "Course I did" before adding that her professor "loved it." She further gushed that it was a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” and “so unexpected.”

Prince William visited Northern Ireland to meet his partners in the Homewards project, which he launched in June 2023 through The Royal Foundation, to eradicate homelessness in the UK. his second engagement on the day was to visit Ulster University.

Prince William said he’d carry out his role with ‘a smaller R in the royal’

Prince William’s heart-warming interaction with the students came just a few days after he announced his modern vision with royalty at the end of his South Africa tour. 

As his South Africa tour came to an end following the Earthshot environmental prize, Prince William shared his views on his role in the monarchy. 

The Prince of Wales noted, “I can only describe what I'm trying to do, and that's I'm trying to do it differently and I'm trying to do it for my generation," he told us. "And to give you more an understanding around it, I'm doing it with maybe a smaller R in the royal, if you like, that's maybe a better way of saying it."

He explained, per BBC, "It's more about impact philanthropy, collaboration, convening, and helping people. And I'm also going to throw empathy in there as well, because I really care about what I do. It helps impacts people's lives. And I think we could do with some more empathetic leadership around the world."