Prince William has released behind-the-scenes footage of his recent darts match against Hannah Waddingham.
The unlikely duo filmed the nine-minute sketch at Alexandra Palace in north London to promote the royal’s new environmental documentary, The Earthshot Report, which aired on BBC1 on December 14.
Posted on the Prince and Princess of Wales’s X account, the clip shows William, 42, and the Ted Lasso actress, 50, strolling into the historic venue where the first Earthshot Prize awards ceremony was hosted in 2021.
‘Welcome to the world famous Alexandra Palace,’ Hannah said to the Prince. ‘What a wonderful palace it is,’ he responded.
Dressed in plastic-free trainers by the British brand HEVEA and a casual blue jumper, William appeared relaxed as the wandered the halls of the palace with Hannah.
‘It feels weird being back here actually,’ the Prince of Wales said.
‘How many years ago was it?’ the actress asked, referring to the awards ceremony. ‘Four,’ William replied.
Collecting a pint of cider from the bar, the Prince’s tone changes as he speaks about the environmental organisation he launched in 2020.
‘Future changes as we want need to start happening really quite fast now and so this decade of change is when the Earthshot Prize is kind of running for,’ he said.
The never-before-seen-footage was released days after a gushing Hannah described Prince William as a ‘glorious gentleman’ and the ‘beating heart’ of the Earthshot Prize.
Describing their meeting last year at the Earthshot Prize Awards in Singapore as ‘absolutely thrilling’, the actress shared a snippet of her conversation with the heir-to-the-throne.
In an interview with Parade Magazine, Hannah revealed she and her co-presenter Sterling K. Brown approached the Prince of Wales at the awards and told him he was ‘a cut above the rest’.
Explaining her reasoning, she said: ‘He has created the Earthshot organisation and he isn’t a poster boy for it.
‘It was very obvious from being out there that he is the beating heart and he really does care.’
She added: ‘That man is passionate about the environment and I was very proud to be there being a kind of figurehead for his organisation.’
And according to body language expert Judi James, William was equally in awe of is pal Hannah as she is of him.
Speaking to FEMAIL, Judi told how William displayed ‘sweet gestures’, signalling a genuine friendship between the pair.
Judi said: ‘It’s rather sweet to see William completely over-powered in his performance here by the assertive, statuesque and funny Hannah Waddingham, who reduces him to a state of chuckling fan.
‘William’s famously competitive traits shine through at the beginning as he holds the darts like a pro, waving them as he talks to Hannah in a confident gesture that implies “Just watch this!”‘
‘He throws the dart as she speaks, and his clamped-lip expression suggests intention and focus on getting a bullseye.
‘There is a small moment when there is a hint from William’s body language that suggests he might actually be going to blag it and pretend the dart hit home for the video.
‘But as Hannah joins in, he’s left with no option but to let out an embarrassed gasp as it is revealed to be lying on the floor.’
During the friendly game, Prince William revealed that he talks to his children all the time about the environment and says getting them out playing in nature is a priority.
When chatting to William, Hannah asked him about his ‘three little people’ and he revealed the importance of getting Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, nine, and Prince Louis, six, out in nature.
William said: ‘I talk to my children all the time about it and it’s important that they see, touch, feel and go into nature.
‘It’s very hard for people to understand what is the point in protecting it if you never use it and it’s really important that we get people out into nature because then they will value it.
‘We can’t take for granted what we have, we have to protect it and we have to look after it, we have to think about it in a way that is sustainable and beneficial for all of us.’
