Prince William surprised as football legend Paul Gascoigne plants kiss in packed Pret A Manger

Prince William Paul Gascoigne

Prince William got a peck on the cheek from Paul Gascoigne at a Pret A Manger in Bournemouth

PA
Jack Otway

By Jack Otway


Published: 07/09/2023

- 14:57

The Prince of Wales was chatting with staff and bosses as part of a campaign to end homelesness

Paul Gascoigne surprised Prince William with a peck on the cheek in Bournemouth on Thursday.

The Prince of Wales turned up to a Prat A Manger as part of a campaign to end homelessness.


Gascoigne then greeted him there in front of a packed crowd inside the outlet, with the football legend then surprising the royal.

The former Newcastle and England star told William that he lived nearby in Sandbanks and was feeling 'a lot better' and 'getting there' amid his long battle with alcohol addiction.

Prince William

Prince William attended a Pret A Manger in Bournemouth as part of a campaign to help end homelessness

PA

Gascoigne seemed delighted to get the chance to meet William, having previously met Princess Diana.

That meeting happened at the 1991 FA Cup final, when the football hero was at Tottenham, with Spurs securing the trophy with a 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest.

Earlier on in the day, William was given his own name badge inside Pret.

He turned on the charm, laughing and joking with staff while also attempting to make sandwiches for customers.

William was there to learn about a scheme helping 500 people experiencing or at near risk of homelessness secure jobs at chain UK outlets.

The plan is for this scheme to run for the next five years.

Reacting to William's visit, chief executive of Pret Pano Christou said: "Since we started The Pret Foundation almost 30 years ago, we've worked hard to give people facing homelessness vital support, training and employment opportunities, including through our Rising Stars programme.

"But no one can fix this problem alone.

"That's why we're so proud and honoured to be working with Homewards and His Royal Highness to take Rising Stars even further.

"We will continue to do everything we can as a business to help tackle this issue and give people new opportunities wherever we can."

The 41-year-old arrived in Bournemouth by train and was also spotted walking along the station platform.

A video uploaded by Kensington Palace showed him walking along the station platform.

As part of the plan to help end homelessness, the Prince will meet representatives from eight national and local firms to hear about their support for his five-year Homewards project.

And he's also set to visit Bournemouth football club for a pitch-side conversation with club staff, too.

William will learn about work supporting disadvantaged and vulnerable adults to live independently.

News of the Prince's visit to Bournemouth comes on the eve of the death of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.

The late Queen died at the age of 96, having reigned for 70 years.

While William is in Bournemouth, Prince Harry is set to jet to London in order to attend the WellChild Awards tonight.

The 38-year-old will fly over 5,000 miles in order to go to the event and he's not expected to see his brother while back in the UK.

While at the WellAwards, Harry will spend time with the winners and their families at a pre-ceremony reception.

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Prince William

Prince William looked delighted as he helped make sandwiches at a Pret A Manger in Bournemouth

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He will then present the award for Inspirational Child and deliver a speech, too.

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