Prince William met a fan and told him he “shouldn’t” be spending time with him because of a huge plan the fan was scheduled to attend the next day. The prince was left shocked after speaking to 29-year-old investment banker Joseph Simeon.
Joseph, a recipient of The Amos Bursary, met the future king at an official engagement on Wednesday. The event took place during the Black Enterprise Week at Urban MBA in East London. The co-working space supports marginalised young people through education and mentoring.
Shocked by wedding plans
Joseph agreed to attend the event to speak with William because he feels so passionately about the project. But he admitted to William that he would be getting married the next day, leaving the prince shocked.
He said: “Tomorrow? You shouldn’t be here! There are other conversations you should be having. Shouldn’t you be preparing your speech?”
Bursary's impact
After the meeting, Joseph told reporters that the scheme changed his life. He said: “We are all very grateful for the support it has given us and for the prince being here today. The Amos Bursary has been transformative to my life. I am now a mentor myself and will take any opportunity to spread the word.”
William also had the chance to speak to others, what he called “high achievers,” such as an Oxford graduate and a trainee barrister, who have all used the bursary in the past. Another person who received the bursary also spoke about their experience, reports Hello! Magazine.
Future king's recent engagements
Xavier Hamilton, 34, was one of the first young people to be helped by The Amos Bursary in 2009. Talking about meeting William, he said: “It’s phenomenal he was here. It’s a future king, and privately he said he wanted to continue to help and support us. It’s amazing to hear.”
Prince William has been busy recently, carrying out a huge number of engagements. He was spotted playing cricket outside of Buckingham Palace on October 15.
The future king’s visit to the Mall was designed both to highlight the unifying power of sport and the prince's forthcoming Earthshot Prize environmental awards in Mumbai next month. William was joined by several England and Indian cricket legends, including captain Joe Root, India's former national team captains Ajinkya Rahane and Sourav Ganguly, and West Indies champion Brian Lara.
