PRINCE William received a surprise kiss from Paul Gascoigne during a visit to a coffee shop on Thursday.
The Prince of Wales was chatting with staff and bosses at a branch of Pret a Manger in Bournemouth as part of his campaign to end homelessness when the former soccer star – who famously kissed the hand of William’s mother, the late Princess Diana, at the 1991 FA Cup Final – made an appearance, and the two men greeted one another warmly.
Paul, who is affectionately known as Gazza, explained he lived in nearby Sandbanks and told the prince he is feeling “a lot better, getting there” in his battle with alcohol addiction.
The ex-England ace was quoted by The Sun online afterwards as saying: “I’ve met him a couple of times and met him at Wembley (during the Euro 2020 semi finals), he loves his football, I climbed over a few chairs to talk to him and gave him a peck on the cheek.
“I came past Pret and someone said William was there so I saw him and gave another peck on the cheek.
“He’s a good looking guy. He said ‘I even got a kiss’.
Although it isn’t believed the meeting was planned, Gazza , 56, revealed William knew he was there.
He added: “He said he has been watching us from afar. I help homeless here in Bournemouth I often give them ciggies and sandwiches.”
Earlier, the 41-year-old royal was presented with his own name badge and joked with staff as he tried his hand at making sandwiches for customers at the eatery.
William arrived in Bournemouth by train and will meet representatives from eight firms about their support for his Homewards project, a five-year initiative to end homelessness.
