Teachers have heard every excuse in the book over the years, but one student trumped them all when she handed her phone to a member of the Royal Family to help explain the rather wild reason why she was late to class.
Samantha Johnson, who attends Ulster University in Belfast, Northern Ireland, was held up by Prince William's visit to the school's campus center on Thursday, Nov. 14, so she took to TikTok to prove that she wasn't using a "dog ate my homework" reason for missing a lecture.
"Just tell her why we're late," she says, looking into the camera and then handing it over to none other but the Prince of Wales. "Just say sorry, Lesley," a friend says off camera before William takes over.
"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."
@samanthaj0hns0n ♬ original sound - samantha
Plenty of fans jumped into the comments, like one who wrote, "That’s a royal pardon," to which Johnson replied, "Can’t argue with a royal pardon."
"He said 'we're late' fella is coming with you," another commented, while a third fan wrote, "I would send this everytime I take sick day or pto."
Johnson also added in the comments some more details about her interaction with William, writing, "One of the nicest people I’ve met, genuinely takes care in trying to get to know you."
"Interactions with royals are getting more and more unserious and I love that for them," another TikTok user added. The social media user's comment rings true when it comes to recent royal events, with both Prince William and Kate Middleton showing a more modern approach to their engagements and interactions with fans.
The Prince of Wales was visiting the university to learn about how it helps train students in the creative industries sector, which, per Kensington Palace, is "estimated to contribute £1.4 billion to the local economy and employs more than 24,000 people."
Prince William—who honored The Crown actress Imelda Staunton with a damehood earlier this week—even hopped on a motorcycle to test out some green screen technology, reliving a hobby he gave up years ago after becoming a dad of three.
As for Professor Lesley, Johnson reports, "She was pure buzzin, reposted it on her linked in and all." University students of the U.K., take note for future visits.
