A quiet visit to an event in Somerset ended with a question Prince William never saw coming. A man had mistaken him for the singer Prince and wanted a song. The Prince of Wales recently retold the moment on The Graham Norton Show, and it drew laughs from the studio. Now, the man’s family says a heartfelt apology letter is headed to Kensington Palace.
Man who mistook Prince William for singer Prince reportedly pens an apology
This is such a funny story about Prince William’s recent visit to Somerset, when someone didn’t recognise him and thought he was Prince the singer ?? https://t.co/5VDy6mkYc5
— Anna (@tokkianami) October 23, 2026
Prince William recently appeared on a special Earthshot Prize edition of The Graham Norton Show. There, he recalled touring a community in Somerset when a man approached him and asked, “When are you going to sing?” The prince said he was baffled at first.
A woman standing behind the man soon stepped in. She tapped his arm and explained that this was not that Prince. As the conversation unfolded, it became clear the man had hoped to hear “Purple Rain.” William admitted he does not know the lyrics, which drew laughter from the audience and fellow guest Cate Blanchett.
The Sun has since identified the man as Sebastian Smith, 22. According to the outlet, the meeting took place at the Sweet Surprise cafe in Ilminster, Somerset. The cafe offers workplace education to adults with learning difficulties. Sebastian, who has Rubinstein-Taybi Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder, is one of them.
His mother, Claire, told the outlet that Sebastian probably had no idea who William was. He is, however, a devoted fan of the singer Prince, she explained, and can list every song and recite the lyrics. Given his learning difficulties, she called that remarkable. So when William walked in, Sebastian simply assumed the singer had arrived.
The family then helped Sebastian write a letter to the prince. In it, he thanked William for visiting and apologised for the mix-up. Claire told the paper, “We hope he sees it.”
William’s appearance on The Graham Norton show also served a wider purpose. It promoted the Earthshot Prize, his environmental initiative, ahead of its next awards ceremony in Mumbai.
