Olly Murs 'had to creep away' from Prince William after chat created awkward problem
There are typically stringent protocols when it comes to interacting with the royals, and it's usually made clear when the conversation is over.
However, singer Olly Murs has shared his experience of steering Prince William onto his favourite topic during their meeting at the King's Coronation, which led to a significant delay for other celebrities waiting to meet the new Prince Of Wales.
Olly was introduced to the heir apparent after the Coronation concert in May last year. He mentioned there was an open bar backstage, saying: "Drink whatever you want. I'm like, 'Happy days.''
After a few gin and tonics, a lady approached him and said 'Prince William and Princess Kate would like a word with you'."
Feeling slightly uncomfortable and unsure about what to discuss, Olly decided to chat with the prince about football. "The thing about me is, whenever I'm with people, the first thing I always ask is 'What team do you support? '" he explained.
This sparked a lengthy conversation, with William expressing his passion for Aston Villa. "He was telling me all about how much he loves going and how he's excited about the new owners and the season," Olly added.
Olly, a die-hard Manchester United supporter, revealed that the conversation lasted for "a good ten minutes."
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As the chat progressed, it became evident that a queue of individuals was forming, all eager to have their moment with the new Prince of Wales. He added: "I looked around me at one point and there were about 30 or 40 people all wanting to talk to him, but we were having such good chat about football."
However, the Essex-born singer eventually decided it was time to wrap things up. He shared: "I said, 'look, William, it's lovely to talk to you, mate. Have a good night. I've got to go'. I sort of had to creep away."
While this isn't the typical way to end a conversation with a high-ranking royal, Olly felt he had no other option under the circumstances.