Piers Morgan opens up about first impromptu meeting with Prince William 30 years ago

Piers Morgan recently announced that he was taking his show Piers Morgan Uncensored off Talk TV in order to broadcast it on Youtube. It is true that over the last few months the presenter has been going viral with some of his interviews.

Though this step away from live TV broadcast is said to have annoyed Murdoch and people at Talk TV – Uncensored is the channel's flagship show – Piers Morgan continues to enjoy a massive deal with the Murdoch-owned NewsUK. As part of the deal is a weekly column in The Sun in which he freely comments on something in the news.

His columns cover a wide range of topics, from Donald Trump to the Royal Family. In his newest columns, the journalist who has been a staple of the UK media landscape for many years, talks about a time when he supposedly had lunch with Princess Diana and a 13-year-old Prince William.

Piers Morgan meets a young Prince William

The story begins when Piers Morgan recalls his and Prince William’s first meeting. According to the journalist, Prince William was 13 and ‘tentatively’ shook his hand. It all started when Princess Diana invited Morgan to lunch at Kensington Palace.

At the time of the story, which we understand to be in 1995, Piers Morgan was editor at the Daily Mirror. The presenter reminisces about how Prince William’s presence was impromptu and after a few jokes about his presence the three set off to lunch.

Morgan explains that the experience was ‘the most extraordinary meal of my life’ though not because of the food but thanks to a very open Diana who reportedly spoke about ‘her life from her failed marriage and numerous boyfriends to her cellulite and the future of the Monarchy’.

In the meantime, the young Prince was there and what he did next stuck with Morgan. The journalist writes:

William asked for a glass of wine to match mine

Of course at first, Princess Diana supposedly feigned outrage and told her son off. But Prince William insisted:

But Mummy, I drink it all the time.

Morgan recalls the mother and son conversation going like this:

"Erm, you don’t actually, and you can’t have any!" she exclaimed, nervously.

"Yes, I do, and yes, I can!" he chuckled.

Morgan concludes:

And he then did.

Morgan recalls being surprised and impressed by this young Prince who ‘knew his own mind’.

Prince William and alcohol

This is not the first time Prince William’s drinking makes headlines. Indeed, in 2023, a clip from Rob Burrow's podcast went viral.

In the episode, Burrow speaks to Zara and Mike Tindall – Zara being Princess Anne’s daughter. In recent months we have seen a closer bond between the Tindalls and the Waleses which also means that Mike Tindall can reveal some funny and unexpected things about the royals.

On Rub Burrow’s podcast, Mike Tindall revealed his special nickname for Prince William. As BBC News reports, Tindall said:

The Prince of Wales is known to me as One Pint Willy because he's not the best of drinkers.

An anecdote which contrasts with Morgan’s recollection of events. This revelation wasn’t the only one Mike Tindall made in 2023. In an episode of his own podcast The Good, The Bad and The Rugby ,Tindall and his co-hosts James Haskell and Alex Payne were in conversation with Princess Anne as well as the Prince and Princess of Wales.

The interview which was recorded to mark the 2023 Rugby World Cup offered a glimpse of a more relaxed Prince William and Kate Middleton as they were interviewed by a family member. This was the occasion for the couple to talk about their competitive sides and joke around.

Read more:

⋙ Kate Middleton's sweet nickname by Mike Tindall will prove how sporty she is

⋙ Prince Harry: The Duke of Sussex would 'gladly accept' to see his brother but Prince William has different plans

⋙ Princess Diana still haunts King Charles' reign: Expert says he killed the Queen’s ‘family monarchy’

Sources:

The Sun: Prince William asked for booze aged 13 at our first meeting – what happened next showed how well he knows his own mind

BBC News: Piers Morgan to move TalkTV show Uncensored to YouTube

BBC News: Rob Burrow podcast: Prince William nicknamed One Pint Willy