Prince William left BBC Radio 1 DJ Greg James in “shock” on March 17 when he turned up to support the radio personality’s charity bike ride across the U.K., and one royal expert says William’s down-to-earth appearance is bringing back memories of Princess Diana.
The Prince of Wales recently spoke with James for a panel discussion on men’s mental health, when the DJ casually suggested the future King could stop by and join him for a turn on his tandem bicycle. But when William did just that on St. Patrick’s Day, James said, “I didn't think he'd actually call my bluff.”
Speaking on behalf of Betfair Casino, body language expert and behavioral analyst Darren Stanton says that the Prince of Wales “seemed genuinely happy during the bike ride—he wanted to be visible and in the thick of it.” He continued that the surprise appearance was “indicative of his mother, Princess Diana. She was very much like this and was happy to go against protocols by putting herself out there.”
William and James shared an easy banter as they rode through Yorkshire, with the Prince of Wales yelling to a group of onlookers “He’s hallucinating!” and “It’s a lookalike!” when James called out “It’s Prince William!”
Stanton says that the future King is “at his happiest” when he’s taking part in relaxed situations like this and “dressed so casually.” The body language expert shared, “He is genuinely happy to meet people and have an air about him when there’s no preconceived pressure.”
Prince William has been clear about his goals to make the monarchy more "accessible," and Stanton says that his tandem ride was “a very powerful statement to make.”
“This interaction shows what type of King he is going to be,” he continued. “William has rocked up to this non-royal event brilliantly and demonstrated his humbleness. He is very grounded and respects everyone. It clearly shows he is prepared to get his hands dirty and interact with people.”
