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    1. Celebrity
    2. Royals

    Prince William Couldn't Fulfill One Hilarious Request Due to an Identity Mixup No One Saw Coming

    He's a man of many talents.

    Christine Ross's avatar
    By Christine Ross
    Published 26 October 2026 In News

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    Prince William singing
    (Image credit: Getty Images)
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    Prince William is a man of many talents: he can fly a helicopter, climb a mountain, drive a tractor, spin records like a DJ, and cook a lasagna, but apparently he has to draw the line somewhere. On his recent appearance on The Graham Norton Show, Prince William was promoting the upcoming Earthshot Prize Awards alongside a celebrity panel of guests. During the relaxed chat show, the Prince of Wales revealed the unusual request he once received at a royal engagement that he had to turn down.

    Prince William wearing a suit and tie standing at a DJ table

    Prince William even has DJ skills.

    (Image credit: Getty Images)

    King Charles and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge visit the RAF Rescue helicopter at RAF Valley on July 9, 2012.

    Prince William is a man of many talents.

    (Image credit: Chris Jackson/WPA Pool /Getty Images))

    “A lovely gentleman looked up at me and said, ‘when are you going to sing?’” Prince William shared to an amused audience. “Listen, I’ve had many requests over many years from all ranging parts of society,” the prince continues, hinting at the many different people he has met through all walks of life, and the unusual conversations he might have. I can only imagine the requests he has received in the past, but being asked to sing seemed to perplex the prince. “I said, ‘I’m sorry, what do you mean?’ And he goes, ‘well, when are you going to sing your performance?’”

    Prince William expertly delivered the punchline to the story, saying “a lady tapped on him and said, ‘No, he’s not that Prince’.” In a case of mistaken identity, the gentleman mistook the prince’s presence for musical legend, Prince, and expected the guest of honor to take to the stage and serenade them. “Turns out he wanted me to sing Purple Rain, which I don’t know the lyrics for.” (Or in this case, Purple Reign.)

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    Graham Norton, Prince WIlliam, Cate Blanchett, Hannah Waddingham, Robert Irwin sitting on the set of the Graham Norton show

    Prince William on The Graham Norton Show.

    (Image credit: The Prince and Princess of Wales/Instagram)

    Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Taylor Swift attend the Winter Whites Gala In Aid Of Centrepoint on November 26, 2013 in London, England.

    Never forget.

    (Image credit: Dave J Hogan/Centrepoint/Getty Images/Dominic Lipinski - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

    Prince Purple Rain

    Purple Rain meets Purple Reign.

    (Image credit: Getty Images)

    American-born singer-songwriter Prince, who died in 2016, could not look more different from Prince William, the Prince of Wales, but stranger things have happened. After all, Prince William did perform a song with Taylor Swift and Jon Bon Jovi at a charity event at Kensington Palace.

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    Christine Ross
    Christine Ross
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    Writer

    Christine Ross is a freelancer writer, royal expert, broadcaster and podcaster. She's worked with news outlets including the BBC, Glamour, Talk TV, ET, PBS, CNN and 20/20 to cover the foremost royal events of the last decade, from Prince George’s birth to the coronation of King Charles III.

    She previously served as co-host of Royally Us, a weekly royal podcast by Us Weekly. As a freelance writer and royal commentator she provides expert commentary, historical context and fashion analysis about royal families worldwide, with an emphasis on the British Royal Family.

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