A young man who mistook Prince William for the late pop superstar Prince has written to the heir to the throne to apologise for the amusing misunderstanding.
The Prince of Wales shared the story during his appearance on The Graham Norton Show last Friday, joining Hollywood stars Cate Blanchett, Hannah Waddingham and Robert Irwin on the programme’s famous red sofa.
William did not identify the 22-year-old at the time. He had met Sebastian Smith during a visit to the Sweet Surprise cafe in Ilminster, Somerset, on October 6.
The cafe provides workplace training for adults with learning difficulties, including Sebastian, who has the rare genetic condition Rubinstein-Taybi Syndrome.
William recalled meeting a “lovely gentleman” who looked at him and asked: “When are you going to sing?”
The 44-year-old royal explained: “It turned out he wanted me to sing Purple Rain, which I don’t know the lyrics for.”
Prince William pictured chatting to Sebastian Smith (second from left), who thought the royal was pop singer Prince
The Prince of Wales met Sebastian during a visit to Ilminster on October 6
After hearing the story on the popular BBC chat show, Sebastian’s family came forward and explained that he is a huge fan of the American singer, who died in 2016.
Prince, widely regarded as one of the greatest musicians of his generation, recorded hits including Raspberry Beret, Little Red Corvette and Purple Rain.
Sebastian’s mother said of the encounter: “To be honest, I don’t think Sebastian had any idea who Prince William was – but he’s a massive fan of Prince the singer and can list all his songs and knows all the lyrics.
“Considering his learning difficulties, it is amazing.
“So when Prince William arrived at Sweet Surprise, Sebastian assumed it was Prince the singer!”
She said her son had since written a letter to Prince William and hoped the royal would take the time to read it.
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The Prince of Wales recalled the hilarious encounter on the famous red sofa last Friday night, delighting the studio audience as he showed off his more relaxed side
He appeared on the hit BBC chat show alongside Hollywood stars Cate Blanchett, Hannah Waddingham, Robert Irwin and singer Jorja Smith
“We’ve helped Sebastian write a letter to Prince William. In it, he thanks William for visiting and has apologised for mistaking him for Prince.
“We hope he sees it,” she added, saying that Sebastian was enjoying the attention.
Prince William’s appearance on The Graham Norton Show last week marked a royal first. The future King entertained the studio audience with personal anecdotes while revealing a more relaxed side of his personality.
The audience greeted his arrival with gasps after Norton announced him as a guest. William went on to discuss his unlikely childhood career ambitions, his passion for football and the television programmes that have captivated his children.
The Prince of Wales revealed he once dreamed of becoming a police officer and secretly posts comments on Aston Villa fan forums, allowing him to share his passion for the Premier League club away from the spotlight.
The Prince also confessed that before accepting his royal destiny, he had considered a career in the police.
He later also developed ambitions of becoming a DJ, although his attempts to establish himself behind the decks were apparently less than successful.
‘Then I went through a phase of wanting to be a DJ, which didn’t go very well. I was called DJ Xara, with an X,’ he revealed.
But his confession failed to impress Ted Lasso star Hannah Waddingham, who jokingly responded: ‘Oh that’s rubbish.’
William appeared entirely at ease with the teasing as he joined in the light-hearted conversation, in a rare glimpse of the man behind the royal title.
His appearance was intended to promote his Earthshot Prize, the environmental initiative he launched six years ago to support innovative solutions to some of the planet’s biggest challenges.
But the conversation also offered an insight into life behind palace doors, including the Wales family’s television habits.