Jason Bell, who played for the Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans, and New York Giants, described William as “really easy to engage with.”

“He was asking about the intricacies of the game, really trying to understand it. He obviously loves his sport so he’s trying to dig into the minutiae of the game,” he said.

The two players joined William on the field and said that he enthusiastically got stuck in. Phoebe Schecter, GB Women’s Flag Football Team Captain, helped put the Prince through his paces. “First off he has an incredibly strong arm, it was just a little bit of technique to help him really aim,” she said afterwards. “He was in a situation that he probably wasn’t very comfortable in and he took command. He did a hand off at one point and threw some incredible balls downfield. He’s got such a strong arm I couldn’t believe it. He said he’s played when he was younger on the beach with friends and family.”

Prince William speaking with Phoebe Schecter.

Among the young people to join the Prince at Kennington Park Hockey Field was 14-year-old Kavay, who described his experience as “very exciting.”

“It’s fun and everyone becomes one family and you make a lot of new friends,” he said of playing NFL Flag. “He was nice. He can throw very, very well,” he said of William.

American Football is not widely played in the UK, but the Prince’s appearance today will undoubtedly contribute to raising the sport’s profile. “You’re talking about the future King of England,” Osi said. “Somebody like that giving his stamp of approval on a game that’s relatively growing here, I think is going to make the game grow a lot faster than it already has been. It’s not a traditional sport but this is a traditional institution when you talk about the King of England, so he’s now letting it be known that American football is here to stay.”

Of the young people at today’s event, Osi said, “They’re learning, they’re having a good time, they’re enjoying themselves. Being able to see that and be a part of that, hopefully they’re going to take the lessons from this onto the rest of their lives.”

Jason added, “We love this game, it’s done so much for us. So when it’s exposed to other people, that’s very important…We understand what being on a team, working out with other people, what that does for young people, especially in hard times, that’s what the foundation is supplying.”

Town & Country Contributing Editor Victoria Murphy has reported on the British Royal Family since 2010. She has interviewed Prince Harry and has travelled the world covering several royal tours. She is a frequent contributor to Good Morning America. Victoria authored Town & Country book The Queen: A Life in Pictures, released in 2021.