In a moment that would make any Guinness World Records official raise an eyebrow, Prince William has apparently added "high-five champion" to his royal résumé. On Tuesday, March 11, the Prince of Wales found himself mobbed by enthusiastic schoolchildren who apparently missed the memo about maintaining dignified royal protocol—not that dad of three William minded one bit.
The Prince of Wales joked that he'd "broken the record for the most amount of high fives in 10 minutes," and his hand must have been tingling after the impromptu palm-slapping marathon with pupils from Fibbersley Park Academy in Willenhall, England.
The royal visit centered around a referee training course at Sporting Khalsa FC in Willenhall—part of the Football Association's Reflective and Representative campaign running since July 2023. The initiative aims to recruit 1,000 people from diverse backgrounds into refereeing roles.
Between posing for selfies and receiving hugs, Prince William seemed particularly charmed by the homemade posters. One young football critic had clearly done their royal homework with a sign reading "Aston Villa is the best"—instantly winning a thumbs-up approval from the notorious Villa supporter.
Another budding sports analyst cut straight to the question of William's officiating abilities with a sign that read, "Hello Prince William, I hope you are a good ref, good luck."
The Prince of Wales went on to grab a whistle and take part in refereeing training, and also spoke to people whose careers have been impacted by the course. "We spoke about women in football, which I think is definitely growing," professional referee Levi Gray told the Mirror, adding she also chatted to William "about diversity events like this and how important it is that you can see it and believe it."
It's been a busy week for the Prince of Wales, who attended Monday's Commonwealth Day ceremony with Princess Kate, who made her return to the event after missing it in 2024. It was also announced that William will be heading for his first overseas visit of the year on March 20 and 21, when the prince will travel to Estonia. While the Princess of Wales won't be joining her husband for the trip, she's also got a new event on her calendar and will be attending the Irish Guards' St. Patrick's Day parade on March 17.
No word yet on whether the FA will actually certify the prince as an official referee, but if his high-five skills are any indication of his athletic abilities, Premier League matches could get considerably more interesting.
