A new report from Hello! Magazine reveals that Prince William had the best day of his life and "great fun" while visiting an Earthshot Prize finalist during a solo outing.
According to Hello!, Prince William visited NatureMetrics and its founder Dr. Kat Bruce. NatureMetrics is an organization that collects DNA samples from water and other sources to generate data that clarifies the current state of the environment.
At one point, William got a chance to perform his own data sampling and analysis. The environmental activist didn't hold back from sharing his observations about the skilled work going on around him. At one point, the Prince humorously noticed that he was only given one sample to work with while the professionals were sifting through eight batches at a time!
A knowledgeable guest with an intense passion for the environment
In the past, the Earthshot Prize has been identified as Prince William's Super Bowl. The royal traveled to South Africa last year to help evaluate the Prize's finalists and decide who would eventually receive the final award.
It appears NatureMetrics left a mark on the people who looked into it during the Prize's scoring process, as it earned a visit from the Prince of Wales despite his packed schedule and usual lack of spare time.
William could have made a quick stop and left with enough time to swing some other visits. Instead, he decided to collect samples with young students, analyze some DNA data in a well-equipped lab, and converse with Dr. Kat Bruce about the nature of her work and what her organization's goals are.
While collecting samples, Prince William and the young students were instructed to squeeze some water out of their syringes to filter some DNA samples. Before they began, Dr. Kat Bruce had the brilliant idea to spray the water at the journalists in attendance!
In a video published within Hello! Magazine's report, viewers can see William's eyes widen with mischief as a gleeful smile spreads across his face. After a quick countdown, William and the students shoot the water out of their syringes and watch it fall just short of the media members in front of them.
"Oh nearly, so nearly!" the Prince sighed.
While conversing with Dr. Kat Bruce inside NatureMetrics' facilities, William asked if she's ever been asked to find the Loch Ness Monster. Amazingly, she confirmed that her organization has been commissioned to find evidence of the Yeti, Big Foot, and other urban legends.
Unfortunately (depending on who you ask), NatureMetrics did not find evidence of the aforementioned urban legends' existence. However, Dr. Bruce did say that Prince William showed "genuine interest and knowledge about the environment and biodiversity [and] was definitely one of [her] most engaged and informed guests."
Sounds like a win Prince William can take all the way to the (data) bank!