Journalist shares 'fun little story' about Prince William's 'childlike' behaviour on Top Gun red carpet

A journalist has shared an unexpected story about Prince William following his unusual choice of shoes at the Top Gun: Maverick film premiere.

Stuart Heritage — a Guardian columnist who writes about culture for the publication — was covering the Baftas as part of the newspaper's live blog on Sunday night.

Heritage introduced a "fun little story" about the pair of black velvet loafers featuring an embroidered F-18 Super Hornet that William had specially commissioned for the premiere last May.

While William's sartorial selection was widely covered at the time, Heritage claims that William repeatedly encouraged cast members on the red carpet - which on the night included Tom Cruise, Jon Hamm and Miles Teller amongst others - to look at his fancy shoes. Heritage then notes: "Like a child would."

Watch: William and Kate make Top Gun: Maverick premiere royal event

Heritage relays: "During this meet and greet, Prince William kept pointing at his shoes, and the film’s cast all responded by doing this weird noncommittal ‘Oh’ face in return. This is because, it turns out, Prince William was wearing special shoes that had fighter jets embroidered on them.

"Imagine that for a moment. You’ve made a film. The film is going to single-handedly revive the global theatrical experience. And here you are, in London, watching the future king of England point at his special aeroplane shoes. Like a child would.

"Imagine being Jon Hamm trying to think of something to say to a literal prince who is determined to show you his special little aeroplane shoes, because he thinks they will somehow delight you. Imagine it."

Heritage finished off the story by noting that Prince William had worn "normal shoes" to the Baftas.

The shoes definitely didn't go unnoticed with Hamm later describing them as "very cool".

He told Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show: "Prince William had on his tuxedo shoes, embroidered F-18s [...] very cool Top Gun tuxedo shoes [...] that means you made it."

Another Top Gun star, Miles Teller, also discussed meeting William and Kate at the premiere on the Tonight Show, but it wasn't the royal's tribute shoes that had caught Teller's attention, but instead that he had got "honestly lost in Prince William's eyes" and that they were as "blue as the bluest ocean".

Prince William attended the 2023 Bafta awards ceremony on Sunday after a two-year absence: in 2021, the ceremony was held virtually and last year clashing commitments in the diary meant that William couldn't make it.

He has been President of Bafta since 2010, and this year award's saw his wife Kate rewear the same look she donned in 2019, with a few alterations, in the name of slow fashion and sustainability.