His Royal Surpriseness! How Prince William is channelling Diana by using his ‘personal charm’ and sense of humour to draw attention to serious issues

Prince William delighted royal fans last weekend when he popped up in a burger van to deliver eco-friendly patties to hungry customers – but it’s not the first time he has made a surprise appearance somewhere one would not expect him to be.

The Prince of Wales, 41, has become known for his under-the-radar charity and royal work over the last few years – and his cheeky sense of humour often shines through in surprise cameo appearances.

From a headline-grabbing stint selling The Big Issue last summer in which he disguised himself with a cap and sold issues of the magazine to passers by, to an impromptu Facetime call with a group of schoolchildren during a hospital visit, William is carving out his own style as he prepares to one day become King, and according to a royal expert, it’s all down to a natural ‘personal charm’.

Richard Fitzwilliams told FEMAIL that William is enjoying the freedom of being able to take on more spontaneous visits with comical appearances, in a personality trait that he believes was inherited from the late Princess Diana.

He added that the Prince and Princess of Wales, as one of the most influential and well-known royal couples in the world, exude ‘soft power’ with their more understated, non-traditional royal visits and appearances.

Last summer, just a few months before his grandmother Queen Elizabeth passed away, Prince William began ramping up his campaign to end homelessness in the UK – drawing attention to the plight of those sleeping rough by selling The Big Issue.

Instead of appearing in his usual crisp suit and shirt, William donned a red waistcoat and a branded red baseball cap to offer copies of the magazine, which is often sold by homeless people and the long-term unemployed, to members of the public.

At the beginning of his experiment, the royal went almost entirely unnoticed on the street in Victoria, central London – but soon he and his partner Dave Martin, who is a permanent Big Issue seller, attracted plenty of attention and managed to flog 32 copies.

In April, Prince William and Princess Kate visited Birmingham to meet small business owners – and he couldn’t pass up an opportunity to work in a restaurant for the afternoon 

In 2021, while promoting the serious cause of improving men’s mental health care, the Prince of Wales was a guest on That Peter Crouch Podcast where he served  up curry and drank pints with the presenters 

According to Mr Fitzwilliams, the Prince’s stunt, combined with the many other more serious trips William has made to charities like The Passage, indicates the fact that he champions fewer causes than some royals who came before him, and therefore can dedicate more time to each. 

‘Prince William is in a uniquely fortunate position,’ he said. ‘He and Catherine have chosen to have relatively few patronages numerically, but do a great deal to raise the profile of those they are attached to.’

It was not the first time William had made headlines with a surprise appearance, having joined Peter Crouch, Chris Stark and Tom Fordyce on That Peter Crouch Podcast in 2021, where he served up a curry and had a pint – while discussing the serious matter of men’s mental health.

In order to put the spotlight on the cause of ending homelessness, which William holds close to his heart, he pulled off a headline-grabbing stunt selling The Big Issue

William completed his stint as a seller of The Big Issue while holding the title of Duke of Cambridge. However, his light-hearted style has developed even further since he took on the new role of Prince of Wales when his father ascended the throne.

As he carves out his own role, William is bringing a touch of comedy to his responsibilities as Prince of Wales.

While visiting a hospital in Ipswich in February, the Prince of Wales got chatting to workers in the East of England Ambulance Service – and enjoyed a few sweet treats baked especially for him by service delivery manager Kerry Gaskin.

During a visit to Ipswich hospital in February, the Prince of Wales met East of England Ambulance worker Kerry Gaskin – and took the opportunity to join a FaceTime call with her child

As he chatted to the mother, she decided to give her child, a sixth form student in Colchester, Essex, a quick FaceTime call to introduce them to the Prince of Wales – leaving a group of pupils stunned and hysterical.

During the call, the Prince says: ‘Who’s the guy, to the corner?’ and points to the pupil as the others laugh and the camera focuses on the bashful boy, who giggles and bows his head.

The Prince then quips the pupil, who is a redhead, looked like Ed Sheeran – causing the pupils to erupt in laughter. 

Amid the giggles, William asks: ‘Are you guys doing any work?’ to which the chorus of pupils replies: ‘No!’

The pupil’s mother chimes in and tells the children: ‘You should be’, before they inform her they’re on their lunchbreak. 

During a trip to Birmingham with Princess Kate in April, the father-of-three visited the Indian Streatery restaurant – and decided to try his hand at being a restaurant host.

In an amusing clip, William, 40, was seen chatting to a diner who called up to book a table for two – and after an entertaining back and fourth, the pair eventually agreed on 2.15pm for the booking. 

The call came towards the end of the visit at about 1.45pm when the prince and princess were about to be offered a selection of dishes to taste. ‘Should I take the order?’ joked William. 

Then, before anyone had time to react, he picked up the phone and started talking to the diner. ‘Do we have a seat for two right now?’ William asked Meena Sharma, head chef and co-owner with her husband Rakesh. ‘Half past two?’ he suggested. ‘Does that work for you? No, apparently not right now.

‘You’ve got a train at 3? If you could get in at half past two that would be fine. For two people? Maybe a quarter past two, and you could make the train at three?’

The only glitch in an otherwise faultless performance was that William mangled the address of the restaurant, turning ‘Bennetts Hill’ into something that sounded more like Benitsia Street. 

As he put the phone down and the restaurant erupted in laughter, the prince said: ‘I’ve probably sent him somewhere else in Birmingham so I apologise.’

As the Prince of Wales settles into his role with a light-hearted take, Mr Fitzwilliams said the royal is enjoying the ‘extra freedom’ he has in the role of Prince of Wales, before he one day becomes King.

He said: ‘[William] can speak out, though it is unlikely he will follow Charles’s often controversial personal style.’