Prince William has been praised by royal fans for taking the time to chat with a fan during the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
Video from inside the Stade de Bordeaux, where William attended Wales’ match against Fiji on Sunday, shows the Prince of Wales stopping to chat with a wheelchair user who appears to have asked him for a photo .
The video, taken from above and posted to Twitter by a user named Isa, shows the Prince of Wales, 41, looking dapper in a suit at the end of the match and leading through a crowd of people.
As he walks across the blue carpet after Wales’ 32-26 defeat to Fiji, a man in a wheelchair catches his eye and the prince instantly stops to walk over and chat.
The couple then pose for a photo taken by a woman wearing a striped jumper – but the Prince of Wales lingers after the photo is taken to chat with the royal fan.
The Prince of Wales, head of the Welsh Rugby Union, was among 42,000 people who came to see Warren Gatland’s men take the field in their opening Pool C match.
Wearing a red tie with white stripes, the future king stood and proudly shouted the words in Welsh to Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau – Land of our Fathers.
Welsh Rugby Union boss William was seen laughing and joking as he sat alongside Gerald Davies, the 50th president of the Welsh Rugby Union.
William glanced to the side as his image appeared on the big screen. But it appears his face was not greeted with the same enthusiastic applause and cheers that erupted for Kate Middleton when her face was shown to the crowd yesterday as they watched England take on Argentina.
The Prince of Wales stopped to take a photo with a wheelchair-bound royal fan at the Stade de Bordeaux
Prince William, 41, who was watching the Wales v Fiji match at the 2023 Rugby World Cup, stopped to chat and take a photo
William spoke of enjoying the opening matches of the Rugby World Cup as he traveled to Bordeaux to watch Wales’ Pool C match against Fiji.
William was welcomed by Mr Davies, Venue Director Paul Couet-Lannes and WRU President Gerald Davies after arriving at Stade de Bordeaux.
He then met with Fijian President Wiliame Katonivere before taking his seat.
The prince first commented on the hot weather in the French city, where temperatures this weekend reached 36C, before discussing the tournament, which began on Friday with hosts France beating New York. Zealand, triple champion, 27-13 in Paris.
“I can’t believe another World Cup is happening,” he told Mr Davies. “It’s exciting when it all starts. There have already been good matches. The France-New Zealand match was fantastic.
He also expressed his admiration for former Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones, Test Rugby’s most capped player, who retired from international duty earlier this year and currently plays for French club Toulon. “I’m going to find out where Alun Wyn is,” William said during his conversation with Gerald Davies. “He’s been there so long, he’s a stalwart.”
This isn’t the first time William has been captured singing the Welsh national anthem. In February, the Prince and Princess of Wales were in Cardiff to watch England v Wales in the Six Nations.
It was the couple’s first outing to a rugby match since winning their new titles and both were spotted singing the anthem in Welsh.
In 2016, he explained that “when the Welsh national anthem plays, you know you’re home.”
His visit to France came 24 hours after his wife, Princess Kate, 41, was seen in the crowd cheering on England at the Stade de Marseille as the Red and Whites made a perfect start to the campaign at the 27-10 victory.
