Prince William Brings Royal Follower To Tears During New York Visit

Prince William had an emotional encounter with a royal fan during his quick visit to New York earlier this week. He was in the city to attend the Earthshot Prize Innovation Summit.

One of the Prince of Wales' stops during his two-day visit to the Big Apple on Monday, September 18, was at the FDNY's Ten House, which is across the street from the 9/11 Ground Zero memorial. After speaking with the firefighters about the importance of taking care of their mental health, he did a mini walk-about at the cordoned Liberty Street, where a crowd had gathered to meet him.

One of those standing in line to shake his hand was royal fan Alyssa Budihas. The New York native remembered how her encounter with the prince left her in tears. Speaking to Hello! magazine, she shared that she gave him two NYC license plates with his name and that of Kate Middleton, and three classic "I Heart NY" T-shirts for their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

Budihas, a resident of Greenwich village who works as a legal counsel for Wilmer Hale, said of her quick exchange with Prince William: "I thanked him for coming to visit us and I gave him three 'I Love New York' t-shirts, one for each of the children."

She admitted that she got emotional when he accepted her gifts, saying she was feeling "very overwhelmed, very happy" and "very grateful that he was as kind and gracious" as she had always imagined him to be. Her encounter with the Prince of Wales was caught on video and shared on social media.

Budihas added that New York City and royal fever "don't often go hand in hand" but for her "they very much do".

She explained: "It felt like, almost meant to be, I'm two blocks from my office. So this was... it worked out pretty well that I could pop out for a bit." She confessed that her hands were "shaking" when the moment came to meet Prince William face to face.

She shared: "I was just like, 'Oh my gosh, it's really happening.' I've spent quite a bit of time in London and I love the U.K. So for it to come together like this here in New York was actually pretty funny. That is where I got the quick meet and greet." Budihas added that Prince William was just "wonderful" and she also praised his work on Earthshot Prize.