More than thirty years earlier, a young William had rushed home from school to Kensington Palace and walked straight into a surprise arranged with unmistakable mischief by his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales. Standing in the foyer were Claudia Schiffer, Naomi Campbell and Christy Turlington. Princess Diana had orchestrated the meeting partly to tease her son, partly to delight him and partly to remind him, in her own warm way, that people plastered on posters were still real human beings.
William later admitted that the moment overwhelmed him. He remembered going bright red, losing his words and even stumbling on the stairs in his panic. His bedroom walls at the time were adorned with posters of the very women now standing in front of him. Looking back, he described it with humour but also with gratitude for the playfulness and affection behind the gesture. It was one of those small mother-and-son moments that remained with him long after her passing.