Prince William is destined to become King of Britain, but as a child he imagined himself pursuing a very different career.
During an appearance on The Graham Norton Show on Friday, the Prince of Wales joined Cate Blanchett, Robert Irwin and Hannah Waddingham to discuss everything from his enthusiasm for Celebrity Traitors to the work of his Earthshot Prize.
The most unexpected revelation, however, involved a childhood ambition. William explained what job he might have chosen if he had not been born second in line to the throne.
“I did want to be a policeman when I was younger, I thought I could make a good one,” he said. “And then I went through a phase of wanting to be a DJ – I wasn’t very good.”
William has, at least, had the opportunity to test his DJ skills. Twelve years ago, he and the Princess of Wales tried their hands at mixing and scratching records during a royal visit to Adelaide, where they toured the Northern Sound System.
DJ-ing was introduced to Kate by DJ Shane Peterer during the visit, and she was the first to take a turn behind the decks. Her confident performance quickly suggested she had a natural feel for it.
The crowd responded with cheers and encouragement, while Peterer offered his own verdict. “She was fantastic,” he said.
William’s first attempt was considerably less successful. His efforts to scratch the record initially produced no sound, but after receiving guidance from Peterer, the future King eventually managed to get the deck working.
The Prince of Wales joined the Princess of Wales behind the decks during their royal visit to Australia 12 years ago, when they toured the Northern Sound System in Adelaide
With royal duties and charitable projects now occupying much of his time, William is unlikely to need to worry about a career in the DJ booth.
Music has nevertheless remained part of the prince’s interests since 2014. In 2025, he visited Symphony Studios to discuss the role music can play in people’s lives, particularly its importance for children.
William said he had experimented with several instruments in his youth. “I started off playing piano, trumpet and the drums and then realised I had to memorise every tune and it just fell away,” he explained.
He has encouraged his own children to develop an appreciation for music, adding: “I make sure my children learn music because I love music and it’s crucial, really important.”
Prince Louis, the youngest of William and Kate’s children, is learning the drums, while Princess Charlotte is taking piano lessons, following in her mother’s footsteps.
Louis’s enthusiasm for percussion has not always been easy for his father to endure. At an event in 2024, William joked: “I spend my entire life with my fingers in my ears.”
Earlier this week, while listening to children at Treehouse Children’s Hospice in Ipswich, Kate made a similar observation to another parent: “Often in our household, the noisier the instrument the better.”
Charlotte has also begun sharing her musical ability in public. At last year’s Together At Christmas carol service, she joined Kate for a piano duet to Holm Sound.
William struggled during his first attempts at scratching the decks, producing no sound until DJ Shane Peterer coached him through the technique
On The Graham Norton Show, William appeared alongside Cate Blanchett, Robert Irwin and Hannah Waddingham and spoke about topics including Celebrity Traitors and his Earthshot Prize
The Princess of Wales made her first public piano performance during the 2021 Together at Christmas broadcast, accompanying Tom Walker on For Those Who Can’t Be Here. Kate has played the piano since she was 10 years old.
Prince William joined The Graham Norton Show to promote the Earthshot Prize, an environmental solutions awards ceremony that takes place in November this year.
Like his father, the prince is a keen environmental advocate. He launched the Earthshot Prize in 2020 which gives £1million in prize money to five winners respectively to projects aimed at solving environmental challenges.
This year’s Earthshot event will bring in over 5,000 participants and is expected to reach its largest audience to date.
The event will be streamed on Prime Video in more than 40 languages across 240 countries.
