Prince William's surprising doppelgänger speaks out on being 'mistaken' for future King and asked where security was
These two have actually met in real life through their conservation work and the comparisons were made more when he was younger
Family resemblances run strong with the royals and some are the absolute spitting image of each other at certain times in their life, like young Queen Elizabeth and Princess Charlotte or Prince George and teenage Prince William. However, the Prince of Wales also looks strikingly similar to someone outside the Royal Family - and he's actually met them.
His unexpected doppelgänger has just shared a throwback photo with William and discussed the times he was "often" mistaken for him when he was younger. Looking at them now, I'd say there's a likeness there between adventurer and broadcaster Ben Fogle and the future King, but it was maybe more pronounced back in the day.
Ben Fogle is a longtime ambassador for Tusk, an African wildlife conservation charity that Prince William is Royal Patron of. Their support for the organisation and its vital work brought them together and in 2010 they travelled across Botswana.
"It was a fascinating journey and a privilege to spend time with the future King, while he shared his passion for conservation. Something we are both passionate about," Ben wrote in his caption alongside the picture of them sitting in the back of a truck.
The adventurer and writer added, "When I was younger, I was often mistaken for Prince William. People used to stop me all the time and ask where my security were?"
Many of his fans clearly agree with those people too, as Ben's post was flooded with comments, including "so alike", "you guys look like brothers" and "the visual similarity in this photo is striking". As he's first in the royal line of succession the Prince of Wales is one of the few royals who has round the clock security, so it probably would be a cause for concern if you'd apparently spotted him without them!
Having a royal doppelgänger who's also an acquaintance is a fun piece of trivia for Ben Fogle and the resemblance has apparently also helped William out in the past. According to the Standard, the Prince once reportedly pretended to be the adventurer to protect his privacy.
When asked whether he'd ever tried to pass himself off as the Prince of Wales, the publication noted that Ben's eyes widened "in horror" as he replied, "No! No! But people have been convinced I'm him overseas. In Chile, the entire paparazzi once turned up."
There have also been times when the royals aren't recognised as themselves, and this has happened to Princess Catherine before. In July she visited Evelina London Children's Hospital and was asked by a young boy if she was the Queen's daughter, to which she gracefully replied, "No, I am the Princess of Wales".
Back in 2020 she and Prince William went to the Shire Hall Care Home in Cardiff when Kate was also not immediately recognised - although to be fair, both were wearing face masks on this occasion. The couple had previously played virtual bingo with non-nonsense resident Joan Drew-Smith and when they met her in person she asked the Prince, "Is that your assistant?"
The Princess of Wales laughed and responded, "Well, I am your assistant. I have been for a long time!"
