Prince William Mobbed by Adoring Fans on First Engagement After Easter Break
The Prince of Wales, Prince William, was warmly received by royal fans on his first engagement after the Easter break. According to a report by Hello Magazine, Prince William, 42, happily posed for selfies and hugs as he arrived at Mentivity House on the Aylesbury Estate near Elephant and Castle.
Opened in March 2024, Mentivity House provides a space for creativity, connection, and growth, offering workshops and youth clubs, plus community initiatives including food and hygiene banks. The future King was dropped off around 150 metres from the community centre and was greeted by the organisation’s founder, Sayce Holmes-Lewis, who showed him the estate where he grew up.
As they strolled down the street, one enthusiastic resident, Oluwaseyi Soyebo-Idowu, 50, accosted the Prince, wrapping her arms around him as she declared: “Let me give you a hug. I see a Prince! A King of England!” Hello Magazine reported that Prince William responded warmly, saying: “Do you want to come on the visit as well? Are we going to go around together?”
The Prince was in high spirits as he interacted with the public, happily posing for selfies and admitting he was “terrible” at a computer game. As he took on a group of pupils from the local Michael Faraday School at Mario Kart, he eventually beat 10-year-old Zia in a closely fought race, telling her: “Brilliant. Neck and neck the whole way. Well done, well played.” Hello Magazine also reported that Prince William joined a group of teenagers to play a football game, set up in his honour as a match between his team, Aston Villa, and Bayern Munich.
During a roundtable discussion hosted by Tim Campbell, a former winner and current advisor on The Apprentice, Prince William said that there should be an organisation like Mentivity “in every single town”. He added: “Not everyone has Mentivity on their doorstep. It feels like you guys are there for the wider life lessons, not just school. You are like life coaches, slash apprenticeships – that’s what you guys are doing. It’s so important.” The Prince also expressed his desire to roll out the Mentivity model nationally, stating: “Looking around the rest of the country, I can’t think of a place that doesn’t need a Mentivity, and that’s troubling. How do you roll something like this out nationally?”
The Prince and Princess of Wales took a break from their royal duties during their children’s Easter school holidays. Hello Magazine reported that Prince William attended both of Aston Villa’s Champions League quarter-final matches, in Paris and Birmingham, with his eldest son, Prince George. The Wales family did not attend the Easter Matins service at St George’s Chapel in Windsor with the King and Queen, opting to spend the time in Norfolk privately instead. The family-of-five were spotted attending a church service on the Sandringham estate with Kate’s parents, Carole and Michael Middleton.
The visit to Mentivity House marked Prince William’s return to royal duties after the Easter break, and Hello Magazine reported that he was warmly received by the community. The Prince’s engagement highlighted the importance of community initiatives like Mentivity, which provide vital support to young people. As the Prince said: “You guys are doing something really special here.”
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