Ulster University student Samantha Johnson, 19, got an unexpected “royal pardon” for her tardiness this week, thanks to none other than .

With hallways bustling and security checkpoints in full force, Johnson found herself trapped behind a crowd as William made his way through the campus.

The prince, who was in Belfast in Northern Ireland to support youth homelessness initiatives and tour the university’s acclaimed Ulster Screen Academy, brought with him a significant security detail, making movement on campus slow. Stuck in the crowd, Johnson knew she’d miss her lecture—so she decided to take a chance and asked William to give her an excuse to show her tutor.

In with over 1.4 million views, the prince cheerfully addresses Johnson’s lecturer, saying: “Lesley, I’m very sorry we’re late. But we seem to be caught up. They wouldn’t believe that you were here, so I just wanted to say hi.”

The on-screen caption playfully reads: “POV — Prince William gives you the best excuse for being late.”

“We shouted over to him and he was so, so nice, honestly such a lovely kindhearted person and agreed to do the video for us because we thought our lecturer Lesley wouldn’t believe our late excuse,” Johnson told Regalrumination.com.

She said that the Prince of Wales also spoke with her and her friends at length about his commitment to homelessness advocacy.

“Then he was telling us about the work he’s doing for homeless people,” Johnson said, referring to the prince’s Homewards initiative, which brings together organizations across the U.K. to tackle homelessness.

“[He] also took a very genuine interest in all of us and what we are doing, which was really unexpected but so nice,” Johnson said.

In the comments, Johnson was also quick to tell people how thrilled she was with the unexpected encounter.

“I’ve fully changed my perspective of him after meeting him—he’s so, so nice,” she wrote, before joking: “I’ve been royally pardoned from my lecture.”

As expected, the video’s comments section lit up with admiration, with users responding in surprise and excitement. One remarked: “Interactions with royals are getting more and more unserious, and I love that for them!”

Another user wrote: “You got to meet Prince William!! Like whattttttt!”

Johnson’s encounter unfolded as William made his way through two scheduled stops in Belfast: a visit to The Foyer, a temporary accommodation center supported by homelessness charity The Simon Community, and an afternoon tour of Ulster University’s high-tech virtual production studio.