Prince William helps student explain being late to class in ‘unexpected’ moment that goes viral

The Prince of Wales knew exactly what to do in the quick video

Prince William’s final stop at college ended with a Gen Z-approved decision: making a TikTok video!

On November 14, the Prince of Wales, 42, visited Ulster University during his surprise trip to Northern Ireland and made an appearance in a student video. Although the British royal family doesn’t have an official TikTok account, Prince William knew exactly what to do when a student asked him to make a video for her teacher explaining that she would be late for class.

In a clip viewed more than 4.2 million times on TikTok, Samantha Johnson and a group of other young people stood around William. “Yeah, just tell him why we’re late,” she said with a laugh, before pointing the camera at the prince.

After checking the teacher’s name and that the video was playing, Prince William said: “Lesley, I’m really sorry we’re late, but they seem to be caught up and they wouldn’t believe you were here.” so, I just wanted to say hello.

On the same subject: Prince William makes surprise trip to Northern Ireland to highlight his mission for homeless people

Her joke got the group laughing, and Johnson wrote on the video, “POV – Prince William gives you the best excuse for being late,” when she posted it.

In response to comments made on his video, Johnson said: “Best excuse ever” and “I can’t argue with a royal pardon.”

When asked if she got away with that excuse, she said, “Of course I did” and that her teacher “loved it.” She also shared that it was “so unexpected” and “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

When a commenter observed that “interactions with royals are becoming less and less serious,” Johnson agreed, saying, “It makes them more real.”

Finally, she said Prince William was “one of the nicest people I’ve ever met, he really takes care in trying to get to know you… I didn’t expect him to be also sane… He’s literally adorable.”

Prince William’s trip to Northern Ireland was not announced in advance and he traveled north to meet partners involved in his Homewards project. The heir to the throne launched the campaign through the Royal Foundation in June 2023 to help eradicate homelessness across the UK, making it “rare, brief and unrepeated” through a pledge from five years.

Related: Prince William Revisited His Hobby He Gave Up Years Ago Because Kate Middleton Said, ‘It Still Fills Me With Horror’

His second engagement of the day was a visit to Ulster University, where he heard about efforts to make Northern Ireland a leader in creative excellence and innovation by empowering the next generation and improving technological capabilities.

Ulster University has played a central role in the expansion of Northern Ireland’s creative industries sector, which is expected to inject more than $1.7 billion into the local economy and employ more than 24,000 people.

William’s selfie-style TikTok video may have surprised some royal watchers, as the British royal family previously refrained from taking selfies! The stance appears to have softened in recent years, with Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton appearing to set a new tone when they both smiled for selfies during their first joint appearance in 2023.

In January, after opening the new Royal Liverpool University Hospital, the couple took selfies with around 20 hospital staff, volunteers and visitors.

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“They were so welcoming. They were so warm and friendly,” ophthalmic imaging technician Amber Otto, who took photos with the Prince and Princess of Wales, told PEOPLE at the time.

“Even when they were kicked out, they made sure to make time for everyone,” she said.

2024 has looked different for Prince William and Princess Kate, with no official joint engagement after the Princess of Wales announced in March that she was undergoing treatment for cancer. She remained in the spotlight for much of the spring and summer and declared on September 9 that she had completed her chemotherapy treatment.

Princess Kate shared the news in a video in which she appeared with Prince William and their children, Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6. The clip, filmed by Will Warr in Norfolk in August, was unprecedented for its intimacy of their family life – which, in itself, is another modern message.