Prince William’s most recent college visit included a TikTok video, which Gen Z approves of!

The Prince of Wales, 42, paid a visit to Ulster University on November 14 as part of his surprise trip to Northern Ireland and appeared in a student film. Though the British royal family does not have an official TikTok account, Prince William knew just what to do when a student requested him to create a video for her professor explaining why she would be late to class.

Samantha Johnson and a handful of other young people surrounded William in a TikTok video that has received over 4.2 million views. “Yeah, just tell her why we’re late,” she laughed as the camera swung to the prince.

After double-checking the professor’s identity and that the video was playing, Prince William remarked, “Lesley, I’m very sorry we’re late, but they seem to be caught up, and they wouldn’t believe you were here, so I just wanted to say hi.”

When Johnson tweeted the video, she captioned it “POV—Prince William gives you the best excuse for being late,” which made the group giggle.

When contacted by people, Johnson stated, “He showed genuine interest in all of our hobbies and future plans. To be honest, Johnson exuded positivity and appeared to be a nice, kind-hearted person. He even dedicated time to share his objectives of helping the homeless and spreading awareness.

Johnson responded to comments on her video, stating that it was the “best excuse ever” and that one couldn’t argue with a royal pardon.

When asked if she got away with the excuse, she said, “Of course I did,” adding that her professor “loved it.” She also described it as “so unexpected” and a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

When a commentator noted that “interactions with royals are becoming increasingly unserious,” Johnson agreed, stating that it “makes them seem more real.”

Ultimately, Johnson described Prince William as “one of the finest persons I’ve encountered, who actually cares about getting to know you.” I didn’t expect him to be this genuine. “He’s absolutely adorable.”

Without prior announcement, Prince William traveled to Northern Ireland to meet with partners on his Homewards project. The heir to the throne began the effort through The Royal Foundation in June 2023 to help abolish homelessness across the UK, making it “rare, brief, and unrepeated” within a five-year period.

His second engagement of the day was a visit to Ulster University, where he learned about initiatives to build Northern Ireland as a leader in creative brilliance and innovation via empowering the next generation and improving technology skills.

Ulster University has significantly contributed to the growth of Northern Ireland’s creative industries sector, projected to yield over $1.7 billion in revenue and employ over 24,000 individuals.

William’s selfie-style TikTok video may have startled some royal watchers, given the British royals have always avoided selfies! The approach appears to have softened in recent years, with Prince William and wife Kate Middleton setting a new tone when they smiled for selfies during their first joint appearance in 2023.

After launching the new Royal Liverpool University Hospital in January, the pair snapped photographs with about 20 hospital personnel, volunteers, and visitors.

“They were really friendly. “They were so warm and friendly,” ophthalmic imaging technician Amber Otto, who photographed both the Prince and Princess of Wales, told PEOPLE at the time.

“They made sure they made time for everyone, even when they were rushing out,” she told me.

When the Princess of Wales revealed in March that she was receiving cancer treatment, Prince William and Princess Kate’s 2024 calendar changed, showing no formal joint engagements. She stayed out of the spotlight for most of the spring and summer until revealing on September 9 that she had completed chemotherapy treatment.

Princess Kate announced the news in a video alongside Prince William and their children, Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6. Will Warr shot the tape in Norfolk in August, and it stood out for its familiarity with their family life, a message that is uniquely modern.