9 Times Prince William's Appearance Made Royal Fans Go Wild

William, Prince of Wales, has not always had the easiest time in the British royal family. When he was just 15 years-old, he lost his mother Princess Diana in a very public and tragic car accident. Even back then, the prince struggled with the voraciousness of the British media, as gossip columns tried to spin stories about the biggest tragedy of his life. In the years since Diana's passing, William was forced to watch on as tabloids mocked his wife Catherine, Princess of Wales, for her middle-class background. He was obligated to remain tight-lipped when rumors of infidelity circulated about his marriage. And he even had to watch in silence as his brother Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, bashed him in the startling tell-all memoir "Spare."

Although he has certainly suffered in his role, William has remained one of Britain's most beloved royals. A 2024 survey by YouGov revealed that he was the second most adored member of the royal family — ranked only behind the Princess of Wales. Part of the reason for William and Catherine's popularity is certainly their adorable family life. However, the couple's overall charisma might have something to do with it as well. Over the years, the Waleses have made a number of surprise appearances in the United Kingdom and beyond — and their engaging presence has been an inspiration to fans everywhere.

Before William, Prince of Wales, and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, had an extremely public feud, the royal brothers were known to perform their royal duties side-by-side. Such was the case in 2011 when William decided to spent the night before his wedding greeting royal fans. Rather than hole up in a private bar for a raging stag party, William stepped out onto the streets outside Clarence House to engage with his subjects. Accompanied by his younger brother, the prince squeezed hands and accepted congratulations. At one point, he even joked, "I hope I'm not too nervous tomorrow" (via the Mirror). Harry, meanwhile, appeared ever the supportive best man, allowing William to soak up the spotlight.

Naturally, William's biggest supporters were pleased with his decision to spend his last evening of singledom mingling with members of the public. Writing beneath the video posted on YouTube, one enthusiastic fan gushed, "William is all class. So handsome too. Love him." Another compared him to the late Princess Diana, who was lauded for her ability to connect with people of all different backgrounds. "He's got his mother's looks and heart. A future monarch," the user wrote. One individual was so moved by William's surprise appearance that they reconsidered their opinion about the monarchy, writing, "What a tough job! ... I now realize the real royals are NOT someone who happened to be born there but who have been working so hard to deserve their titles."

It's no secret that William, Prince of Wales, is kind of a Swiftie. In 2024, he was spotted taking his children, Princess Charlotte and Prince George of Wales, to watch Taylor Swift perform in a concert for her "Eras" tour. During the event, William made quite an impression on his fans by busting a move to Swift's hit song "Shake It Off."

Interestingly, though, this was far from being William's most iconic musical moment. Back in 2013, the prince shocked royal fans at the Winter Whites Gala charity ball when he followed Swift on-stage during a Bon Jovi performance. To everyone's surprise, he joined the two iconic stars in song by belting "Livin' on a Prayer" directly into the mic. As he sang, William appeared to be having a fantastic time. At one point, he even gestured for the crowd to join in — proving that he was very much invested in this sing-along.

When the video footage of the concert was finally made public, royal fans went absolutely wild. People seemed particularly impressed by how ordinary William seemed during the concert, with one YouTube user sharing, "William's shyness is just so endearing. I cannot wait for you to be my King." Another seemed to agree, writing, "Prince William is a lot more down-to-earth and easy-going than people would generally think. He does seem shy and awkward but he's a nice fellow."

Although the British royal family is known to plan hundreds of appearances per year, they aren't able to guess how each of their engagements will go. In 2016, William, Prince of Wales, was caught off-guard during a school visit in Essex, England. As William shook hands and thanked organizers, he heard a loud thump behind him. Jonathan Douglas-Hughes — Essex's vice lord lieutenant — had fallen to the ground. Whereas many people would have floundered at this unexpected incident, William knew exactly what to do. The prince sprang into action and helped lift Douglas-Hughes up from the ground. He even appeared to make a lighthearted comment to reduce the tension of the moment.

William's quick reaction to this tough situation inspired quite a bit of applause among fans. "I hope I will be around to see him crowned king. He will be exceptional," wrote one fan on YouTube. A second fan took the moment as an excuse to compare William to Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, sharing, "What a prince, that's instinct. He is a proper goody goody to balance out his brother." Another applauded the way that William tried to keep Douglas-Hughes' discomfort to a minimum. "Aw you can tell he was super embarrassed after and William made him feel so much better," they wrote.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, some members of the British royal family decided to do their duties remotely. William and Catherine, Prince and Princess of Wales, were among those who refused to let the days of white masks and social distancing stop them from surprising their fans. In 2020, the royal couple placed a video call to the Casterton Primary Academy in Burnley, England. Although most schools in the United Kingdom had been closed due to the pandemic, Casterton Primary Academy held special sessions for children whose parents were considered essential workers.

In a quick chat with a couple of students — recorded and later shared by Global News — William complimented the kids on their adorable bunny ear headbands. "That's a strong look," the prince said with a huge smile. He and Catherine then went on to ask the children a bit about the work that their parents were doing to keep the United Kingdom safe during those tough times. "They're doing an amazing job," Catherine said.

Fans of the couple responded especially well to this school visit, commenting on how regal they seemed. "Kate and William are both warm, endearing and caring people. I think that's why the press loves them so much. The country will be in good hands when they take over someday," one YouTube user commented. Another added, "Absolutely incredible people. They are going to make fantastic leaders."

On September 8, 2022, Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral Castle, leaving her grandson, William, Prince of Wales, heartbroken. In most families, grandchildren are permitted to mourn their late grandparents in private. However, Elizabeth and William did not belong to just any family. As a royal, William was expected to say goodbye to his "Granny" in a televised funeral that was watched by fans across the world. He was also responsible for consoling the British people as they mourned the queen's death as well.

Just days after the queen passed away, William joined his father, King Charles III, to greet the members of the public who decided to pay their final respects to Her Majesty by attending her lying-in-state. Although both William and Charles were surely crushed by their loss, they found it in them to shake hands — and even exchange words — with a few of their biggest fans.

In a video of this moment, which was later shared by The Guardian, people did not hesitate to express their profound admiration for Charles and William. "What classy people. They have their own grief yet they are out there greeting people," commented one fan. Another seemed excited to see the father/son duo stepping into a position of greater leadership, writing, "I personally feel we are seeing a new era being brought in with the king and Prince of Wales."

It's not every day that you see William and Catherine, Prince and Princess of Wales, in the front row of an NBA game. However, in 2022, the royal A-listers shocked crowds by scoring first-row seats to a Celtics match against the Miami Heat in Boston. As per usual, folks in the stands went wild when they saw the royal couple. Although the vast majority of people seemed to applaud William and Catherine, there were a few outliers at this particular sports match. A small group of people reportedly resorted to chanting, "USA! USA!" A few select members of the audience also decided to boo the British visitors.

Despite the hitch in their visit, William and Catherine held their heads high. After the match was over, the pair even walked out onto center court to greet a crowd of adoring fans. In response to this move, one fan took to YouTube to applaud the couple for paying tribute to Princess Diana's memory.

The role of William, Prince of Wales, requires him to remain serious in hard times, but that doesn't mean that he lacks a sense of humor. In 2023, the prince surprised restaurant patrons by playing a little phone prank on them. During an official visit to a restaurant called the Indian Streatery, William volunteered to take over phone duty. Giggling, the restaurant owners watched on as the Prince of Wales answered the calls of patrons — who had no idea that they were speaking to the next King of England.

In a video of the episode — which was later released by Sky News — William struggled to answer basic client questions. He did not know anything about the restaurant's location, he wasn't sure if there were any tables available, and he seemed to think that a 2:30 p.m. lunch reservation was appropriate for a party that needed to catch a train by 3:00 p.m. Despite his charming incompetence, the prince did his best to warm his fans' hearts.

Reactions to the video were overwhelmingly positive, with one YouTube user declaring, "Lovely to see Prince William and Princess Catherine interacting with the locals." Another commented on how excited the callers would be to find out that William had pranked them via telephone. "The couple turning up for lunch will always remember that day. I loved it. William just took it upon himself to answer the phone," they wrote.

The restaurant incident was not the only time that William, Prince of Wales, tried to get a feel for life in the service industry. In 2023, the royal joined the team at Sorted Food to serve hamburgers from a food truck. As the van made stop after stop, William stunned typical, everyday foodies by offering them burgers. Unsurprisingly, he left quite a few of his "customers" feeling completely baffled by the experience. "I was shellshocked," recalled one of the women, after receiving a patty from the prince. "Like, I froze."

Although William's surprise appearance may have sent at least one of his fans into shock, social media applauded his efforts. YouTube users seemed especially thrilled to see someone as famous as the Prince of Wales mingling with ordinary folks. "Prince William is doing a brilliant job of giving the monarchy new relevance and demonstrating that they can still add value, especially to the young generations," one fan commented. Others yet fawned over the resemblance between William and his late mother. "William is the prime example of a good royal. You can see that Princess Diana is his main influence. He gives off that vibe of his mother," chimed in another.

When Emma Webb set out on a 160-mile charity walk in December 2023, she never imagined that William, Prince of Wales, would join her. As the grieving mother of a 16-year-old girl who had died by suicide, Webb had made it her mission to raise awareness about mental health issues. On day 13 of her 19-day journey from Chepstow to London, however, Webb had the surprise of her life. Prince William popped into her line of vision and declared that he was there to offer his support.

Video footage of the moment — which was later released by The Telegraph — shows William surprising Webb and offering her an embrace. The mourning mother immediately screamed before adding, "You surprised me!" On top of offering Webb much-needed comfort and support, William provided her with important publicity. As of the publication of this article, the video of William and Webb has accumulated more than 400,000 views — meaning that the mother's message has reached thousands more than she likely expected.

Naturally, William's fans adored the genuineness of this moment. "It's the little things he manages to do that seem even bigger than the big projects, isn't it? I can't wait until he's king," wrote one of his supporters. "What a wonderful gesture," added another.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org