Prince William Goes Viral After Helping Student With Hilarious Excuse for Being Late to Class: Watch

Ulster University in Belfast, Northern Ireland, student, Samantha Johnson, was late to class on Thursday, November 14, but she had a very regal excuse on hand to clear her tardiness!

Johnson made a TikTok in which Prince William popped on the screen to give her a "royal pardon" for being late due to his extensive motorcade for his visit that morning to the college.

"Just tell her why we're late," she said in the clip about someone named Lesley.

Then, His Royal Highness appeared on the screen and quipped, "Lesley, I'm very sorry we're late, but see we caught up, and they wouldn't believe you were here, so just say hi."

Johnson replied to someone in the video's comment section, "Can’t argue with a royal pardon."

"Interactions with royals are getting more and more unserious and I love that for them," another comment stated.

"Makes them seem more real," Johnson replied.

This lighthearted moment comes after the future king balanced being heir to the British throne with the "emotionally devastating" cancer battles King Charles III, 75, and Kate, Princess of Wales, 42, endured throughout 2024.

In a rare interview during his current trip to South Africa, the future king was asked about his "annus horribilis" (Latin for "terrible year"), and HRH candidly replied, "Honestly? It’s been dreadful. It’s probably been the hardest year in my life."

William's grandmother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, famously called 1992 her annus horribilis due to the breakdown of three of her children's marriages and a fire at Windsor Castle. This year, her grandson "faced a far more devastating" lousy year that has won him the admiration of many royal fans.

HRH added, "So, trying to get through everything else and keep everything on track has been really difficult. But I’m so proud of my wife, I’m proud of my father, for handling the things that they have done. But from a personal family point of view, it’s been brutal."

When asked how the future queen, who is not in attendance, was doing since completing chemotherapy in early September, HRH replied, "She's doing really well thanks. And hopefully, she is watching tonight and cheering me on."

The future king added, "She's been amazing this whole this whole year. I know she will be really keen to see tonight be a success."

This follows good news from Kate biographer Robert Jobson who dished, "From what I understand, Catherine is doing very well. She is back training at the gym and doing all the things she wanted to do. I do think that we will start to see a lot more of her and that she will carry out engagements as well as continuing to work behind the scenes."

Conflicting reports suggest the King is also "doing well," however, His Majesty is still battling the disease unlike his daughter-in-law.