Prince William faced boos and jeers as he left Ulster University’s Belfast City Campus Centre after a visit this afternoon.
The Prince of Wales, 42, smiled and waved as students ardently yelled in the background.
Video shared on X by Belfast Telegraph reporter Kurtis Reid showed the royal facing a ‘less than warm reaction’ as he made his way to a car.
Shouts also appeared to demand more action from the future King on ‘Palestine and Gaza’, with the social media clip finishing to chants of ‘Free Palestine’.
In February, William called for an end to the fighting in Gaza in an unprecedented royal intervention, writing that the ‘terrible human cost’ of the conflict had seen ‘too many killed’.
‘I, like so many others, want to see an end to the fighting as soon as possible,’ the Prince said.
He also highlighted the desperate need for more humanitarian support for the civilians of Gaza and called on Hamas to release its remaining Israeli hostages.
The heir’s exit appeared to be a contrast from earlier scenes during his visit to the university, which saw William swarmed by adoring crowds.
Prince William faced boos and jeers as he left Ulster University’s Belfast City Campus Centre after a visit this afternoon
In one instance, a student asked the Prince to film a video message for a friend who couldn’t be there for his visit.
Elsewhere, reports said that the royal laughed at cheers and whistles directed at him.
William had a jam-packed schedule during his trip to Northern Ireland. In the afternoon, he visited Ulster University’s Belfast City Campus Centre to meet pupils who are learning about visual production, and visited its state of the art studio.
The studio is part of a Ulster University drive to train up the next generation of experts in the creative sector, which is estimated to contribute £1.4bn to the local economy and employs more than 24,000 people.
The Prince joined an Ulster Screen Academy training workshop, in which mentors were paired with young people from two local community groups to learn how to operate the software used in the creation of games, animation and virtual production.
William asked what they were currently working on, seeing a rainy scene from a horror game, how the young people got into it, and what they were hoping to do for their future careers.
‘Ahh that’s clever!’ he said, watching them work. ‘That’s amazing.’
He asked one man whether it was ‘fairly easy to get your head around?’, laughing when he was told it was his first day. ‘You’re going places!’ William told him.
The Prince of Wales, 42, smiled and waved as students yelling anti-monarchist sentiments could be heard in the background
The heir’s exit appeared to be a contrast from earlier scenes during his visit to the university, which saw William swarmed by adoring crowds
The project is aimed at diversifying the talent pool in the creative industries, training young people in their own communities in the hopes that some will go on to find skilled work.
Moving to the visual production training suite, he heard about the other end of the career spectrum, introduced to Oscar-winning actor James Martin.
Martin, who starred in the award-winning short film An Irish Goodbye, received his MBE from Prince William earlier this year, with the Prince grinning and telling him ‘I recognise that! Who gave you that!’ when he shook his hand.
He asked the actor what had helped him in his own career, and when he realised he had such acting potential.
After trying out both the motorbike and the film camera, the Prince was given a short tour of the Ulster University campus by the President of its student union, pausing to speak to staff at the ‘Student Wellbeing’ room and some students having their lunch.
He seemed particularly interested in a small remote controlled car built by a student studying a mechanical engineering course, picking it up to admire it.
As he walked, students took photographs and videos, with some saying hello or giving a small cheer.
Before leaving, he spent time at the OUSU ‘student voice’ stall, asking what was on students’ minds and what they cared about.
The Prince of Wales met staff and students gathered during a visit to Ulster University’s Belfast City Campus Centre
The royal was in high spirits as he chatted with students, who were excited to meet with the royal
The royal was all smiles as he helped a student record a video message for a friend on her phone today
As he walked, students took photographs and videos, with some saying hello or giving a small cheer
He seemed particularly interested in a small remote controlled car built by a student studying a mechanical engineering course, picking it up to admire it
The future King clearly enjoyed himself as he posed on a model motorbike and played around with the cameras
Over the last decade, the university helped to grow the creative industries sector in Northern Ireland, which is estimated to contribute £1.4bn to the local economy and employs more than 24,000 people
Emily Roberts, vice-president of the student union, told him about their work on tackling violence against women and girls, saying afterwards that the Prince had asked what he could do to help or support them.
He signed the visitor book before leaving, with students peering over five floors of balconies to see him. Some whistled loudly, making the Prince laugh, with several brief rounds of cheers before he left.
The father-of-three has had a busy couple of weeks, having recently just come back from South Africa where he celebrated the Earthshot Prize winners during a glitzy, star-studded ceremony.
Finalists, stars and campaigners trod the green carpet, the biggest in the world, at the start of the awards.
Last week’s event were held in a reusable eco ‘super dome’ with a green carpets for guests who include host Billy Porter and models Heidi Klum and Winnie Harlow.
The five winning organisations were chosen from nearly 2,500 nominees across 75 countries.
The Prince of Wales looked suave in a grey chequered blazer, crisp blue shirt and navy suit trousers, complete with a casual pair of gleaming eco-friendly white trainers while attending the event.
Mary Allen, from Natural Fiber Welding who make Purified Shoes said: ‘I had no idea Prince William was going to be wearing the shoes until just before we got here. It’s such a huge honour.
He looked ready for the evening ahead as he posed next to Earthshot Prize Ambassador and Host of Earthshot Week, Nomzamo Mbatha, and the son of the late Steve Irwin, Robert Irwin, who is a Australian conservationist.
The star-studded event saw model Winnie posing for snaps on the green carpet, donning an elegant chocolate brown ensemble.
At he end of his trip to Cape Town, William offered a rare insight into his life, admitting that the past few months have been ‘brutal’.
When asked how the past year had been for him as a husband, father and son, the Prince of Wales lowered his head and said: ‘Honestly? It’s been dreadful.
‘It’s probably been the hardest year in my life. So, trying to get through everything else and keep everything on track has been really difficult.
‘But I’m so proud of my wife, I’m proud of my father, for handling the things that they have done.
‘But from a personal family point of view, it’s been, yeah, it’s been brutal.’
