Prince William’s hug with elderly man in Scotland leaves fans overwhelmed with his ‘immeasurable’ act of comfort

Prince William's hug was met with huge praise from fans and it's not the first time he's taken a more personal approach at engagements...

Prince William's hug flooded with support, seen here with Duchess Kate during a visit to the Wheatley Group
(Image credit: Photo Andrew Milligan - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Prince William’s hug with an elderly man in Scotland has left fans overwhelmed as they praised his “immeasurable” act of comfort.  


The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge delighted the crowds as they stepped out in Glasgow for a series of engagements on May 11. As senior members of the extended Royal Family and with Prince William second in the royal line of succession they regularly undertake visits across the UK and abroad. Their latest visit comes during Mental Health Awareness Week and saw them meet with vulnerable people and other members of the public in Kennishead. 

Here they discovered more about the important work of the Wheatley Group and the challenges of homelessness in Scotland. The Group is working to help reduce homelessness, maximize employment access and lessen the impact of poverty. 

It was during their walkabout that Prince William was pictured embracing an elderly man, who looked overwhelmed by this act of human kindness. 

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Taking to Twitter, fans posted the snap and expressed joy at this lovely moment, with one writing, “This is such a special moment in time. The comfort William gave to this man is immeasurable. He will have this precious photo and his memory of such a special hug for ever”. 

Whilst another echoed this sentiment as they replied, “What is needed at this time with all the sadness in the world. Hats off.”

“Oh I absolutely love this pic. Prince William is an incredible human being and he'll be an incredible king one day”, someone else declared, clearly moved by his gesture.

As they walked through the crowds, both Prince William and Duchess Kate were also pictured taking part in several people’s excited selfies. 

Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge meet members of the public during a visit to the Wheatley Group

(Image credit: Photo Andrew Milligan - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

This personal approach to their Glasgow engagement is not only heart-warming, but also has similarities to how they interacted with people during their Caribbean Tour.

And just as they did in Glasgow, Prince William and Duchess Kate were involved in a selfie. The couple smiled and looked at ease, though it’s understood that royals will generally try to avoid them wherever possible. 

They are also accustomed to not being quite so surrounded. Opening up to woman&home about the Cambridges’ reaction to breaking protocol in Jamaica, body language expert Judi James stated at the time, “There are quite a few royal ‘rules’ being broken here apart from the one about selfies.”

Locals take a selfie with Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge in Trench Town

(Image credit: Photo by Samir Hussein/WireImage via Getty)

She continued, “Royal status used to be all about space and height. A royal was expected to have a large space around them to imply an aura of specialness". Though Judi added that, “as more modern royals, they both look incredibly comfortable with the experience.”

Although the engagement in Glasgow was very different, the Cambridges were closely surrounded by people at points, taking part in fans’ selfies and Prince William’s hug was an incredibly personal touch. It could be seen as a sign that the future King is continuing with a “more modern” approach to duties and is still “comfortable” being more involved with fans during engagement than perhaps has been seen with other royals. 

Emma Shacklock

Emma is a Royal Editor with eight years experience working in publishing. Her specialist areas include the British Royal Family, ranging from protocol to outfits. Alongside putting her royal knowledge to good use, Emma knows all there is to know about the latest TV shows on the BBC, ITV and more. When she’s not writing about the next unmissable show to add to your to-watch list or delving into royal protocol, Emma enjoys cooking, long walks and watching yet more crime dramas!