Future King William surely knows how to electrify a crowd. As a final part of his Dubai tour, he visited Expo 2020 Dubai, where all things British were celebrated. But William might have stolen the show with his pizzazz.
Fans Call Prince William a “Celebrity” During His Iconic Appearance at the Expo 2020
On Thursday, Prince William rounded out his iconic first official visit to the UAE by attending the U.K.’s “national day” held at the Al Wasl Plaza. He stepped out to the blaring beat of Elton John’s “Rocket Man” playing. But despite the cultural awakening and historical pieces, people were more interested in the Duke of Cambridge. In the days leading up to the Expo, he met Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, and toured the Abu Dhabi mangroves. He also visited Dubai’s Jebel Ali Port to see how it tackles the illegal wildlife trade.
At the Expo 2020 leg of the trip, the Prince decided to do something totally unscripted. He walked about the place and greeted the people who were already there queuing for hours. “I’ve been a fan of his mother when I was very little, so I’ve been following him all my life,” said Hania Kazmi from Pakistan, who has lived in the UAE for six years and was waiting outside the UK Pavilion. “We were born in the same year,” she added with a chuckle.
“I’ve followed him since I was young through social media and all these things,” continued Ms. Kazmi. “Maybe he is going to be a king, and he is a celebrity.” Hours before William arrived at 7 p.m., people were already gathering outside the pavilion, waving Union Jacks and, from time to time, singing snippets of “God Save the Queen”.
Prince William arrived alongside the British ambassador to the UAE, Patrick Moody, and met UK ministers such as Nadine Dorries.
As he walked around outside, the crowd broke into chants of “William, William, William”. It inspired him to meet and chat with several members of the crowd who had waited hours in the afternoon winter sun. Standing beside Ms Kazmi was Tinus Deysel, who gushed: “It is exciting to know he is right here.”
“I’m from South Africa, so growing up it was part of the Commonwealth. I will be in awe to see him and will be sending a picture, hopefully, to my mother soon.” British citizens visiting the country also came out to support him. Be sure to catch up on everything happening with The Royal Family right now. Come back here often for all The Royal Family spoilers, news, and updates.
