OMG! Prince William Just Disobeyed Royal Protocol—and Here’s the Amazing Reason Why

The future King of England just proved that actions speak louder than words.

REX/ShutterstockAs if we needed another reason to love Prince William, the incredibly sweet—not to mention charitable!—royal just gave us one more (and this time, it has nothing to do with his cute kids!).

Less than a week ago, a devastating fire took dozens of lives in Grenfell Tower, an apartment complex in London. Prince William joined his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, on a royal visit to the crisis center, where they spoke with the victims of the fire. While their trip changed the lives of everyone at the center, what the Prince did next went above and beyond the line of duty.

Typically, the royal family sticks to formal handshakes during official public visits. (There’s also a reason why Prince William and Kate never show PDA.) But when the Duke of Cambridge spoke with 78-year-old Fatima Jafari, who lost her husband in the fire, he was so overcome with emotion that he embraced her, instead.

Ali Yawra Jafari, 82, was trapped an elevator while trying to escape the fire, the Daily Mail reported. One of his two daughters was with him, but she lost sight of him when someone carried her out of the building.

Ali’s wife and two daughters are mourning their loved one at the Westway Sports Centre, where those affected by the fire have gathered to receive aid. Fatima cried in Prince William’s arms as he gave her his sincerest apologies and reassurances.

His sweet gesture did not go unnoticed by Jafari’s family. According to her 38-year-old daughter Maria, Fatima “keeps saying, ‘I am nobody, but the Queen and future King of this country came to see me. They really care.’”

Prince William was deeply affected by the encounter, too, calling his visit “one of the most terrible things I have ever seen,” according to the Daily Mail.

The Duke also spoke with first responders during his visit, praising their bravery.

“You guys did a brilliant job in unprecedented circumstances,” Prince William told one firefighter.

There you have it. Obviously Prince William is following in the footsteps of his mother, Princess Diana, when it comes to his connection with the British people. Meanwhile his brother, Prince Harry, recently opened up about their mother’s death—and here’s what he had to say.

Brooke Nelson Alexander
Brooke is a tech and consumer products writer covering the latest in digital trends, product reviews, security and privacy, and other news and features for Reader's Digest. She's a two-time Emmy-nominated reporter with nearly 10 years of publishing experience, and her work has been recognized by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association.