8 month old Albane Costa holds the finger of Prince William, Prince of Wales © Getty

Watch Prince William's reaction as baby bites his finger during royal visit

The Prince of Wales is travelling without his wife and children

Senior Online Writer
November 5, 2023

Prince William had the best reaction to his latest encounter with a young fan on Sunday, when eight-month-old Albane Costa bit his finger during a meet-and-greet! 

The Prince was shaking hands with royal fans after landing at Changi Airport in Singapore ahead of the Earthshot Prize awards next week

Little Albane not only grabbed onto the heir to the throne's hand but gave his finger a little nibble as William had a laid-back chat with his parents, as you can see below...

The Prince made a new young fan

"Very sweet," William could be heard saying, adding: "How's he sleeping? Is he sleeping OK? Good." The royal dad-of-three took the biting incident in his stride, laughing as he said: "I need my finger, I need my finger back." 

It was an adorable moment for the Prince, who is travelling without his own family. William and Kate's eldest son Prince George's exams coincide with the Earthshot Awards, and it's understood that the Princess has stayed in the UK to support the young Prince. 

© Getty

The sweet moment was caught on camera

George, ten, who is in Year 6 at Lambrook school in Berkshire, is expected to be sitting entrance exams for his future private school. While he isn't likely to move schools until the age of 13, most entrance exams are usually sat three years in advance. 

Touchingly, when William arrived in Singapore, the welcoming crowd waved Union Jack flags and held up photos of his late mother Princess Diana. The 41-year-old said: "It's fantastic to be back in Singapore for this year's Earthshot Prize ceremony, after eleven years. 

© Getty

The Prince had a sweet connection with little Albane

"Singapore's bold vision to be a leader for environmental innovation sets the standard for others to follow." 

He went on: "I am grateful to the Singaporean people for hosting us this week. Let us all take inspiration from the fantastic work being done here as we celebrate this year’s Earthshot Prize finalists."

WATCH: What is Prince William's Earthshot Prize?

Prince William's brainchild Earthshot aims to find solutions to some of the Earth's biggest environmental issues. 

Launched by the Duke and The Royal Foundation in October 2020, The Earthshot Prize was inspired by President John F. Kennedy's 'Moonshot' programme in the 1960s, which urged millions of people to support the US space programme. 

© Shutterstock

Crowds waved flags as they waited for William's arrival

Five £1 million prizes will be awarded each year for the next ten years, providing at least 50 solutions to the world’s greatest environmental problems by 2030. 

While in Singapore, the 41-year-old will announce the next batch of companies and inventors to be given £1 million investments in their environmental ideas. On Tuesday, he will then attend the Earthshot Prize Awards ceremony. 

© Getty

Prince William also paused for a selfie with eight-year-old Neha Dhaliwal

The glittering evening is set to be a star-studded event with Emmy-award winning actress Hannah Waddingham taking to the stage in her role as host. 

Speaking ahead of the event, she said: "I am absolutely thrilled to be hosting this year's Earthshot Prize Awards in Singapore. The work of the 2023 Prize Finalists is a hopeful reminder of the power of optimism, innovation, and human ingenuity." 

© Getty

Hannah Waddingham will host the awards ceremony

She went on: "It is an enormous honour to be joining forces with The Prince of Wales for this exciting evening and to play a part in sharing the Finalists' inspiring stories and solutions with the world."

LISTEN: Our Right Royal Podcast team learns how Prince William is changing the world...

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