Prince William was mobbed by well-wishers and posed for selfies as he visited a London youth club today, where even got the chance to play Mario Kart with young people.

The Prince of Wales, 42, visited Mentivity, an organisation that engages more than 400 local young people weekly through mentoring programmes, school outreach and youth clubs.

The future king was was dropped off around 150 metres from the Menvitivity House community centre in Elephant and Castle.

He was immediately spotted by enthusiastic resident, Oluwaseyi Soyebo-Idowu, 50, who accosted the Prince, wrapping her arms around him as she declared: ‘Let me give you a hug. I see a Prince! A King of England!’

The Prince said: ‘Do you want to come on the visit as well? Are we going to go around together?’

Intercepted by someone else asking for a selfie, he said: ‘Go for it, you’ve got to be quick.’

He was greeted by Mentivity founder, Sayce Holmes-Lewis, who showed him the Aylesbury estate where he grew up. 

Mentivity was founded in 2016, with the south London centre opening in March 2024. It welcomes children and teenagers from the local community, often providing meals donated by local restaurants.

Prince William roared with laughter as he played video games with the centre’s young people

The 42-year-old royal gripped a controller with both hands as he immersed himself in the experience

During the visit, the royal was asked what he thought of the 17-strong playlist released by the King recently for Apple Music Radio. He laughed and said: ‘I was expecting a lot of classical music so I was surprised.’

The podcast, called The King’s Music Room, included hits by Kylie Minogue, Bob Marley and Grace Jones.

Michael Adeyemi asked if he thought his father might have included some ‘Garage and UK Funky’ but William said: ‘I’m not sure he’d know what that was!’

The Prince said he often turned to music to relax if he’d had ‘a bit of a day’, adding: ‘I regularly go to Spotify to hear new artists’.

The Prince also took on a group of girls from the local Michael Faraday School at Mario Kart, proving a natural at the game. He eventually beat 10-year-old Zia in a closely fought race.

‘Brilliant!’ he told her. ‘Neck and neck the whole way. Well done, well played.’

The Prince of Wales posed for a photo in the street as he grinned next to an adoring fan

Britain’s Prince William plays a computer game during a visit to the Mentivity community centre

Later, the Prince also joined a group of teenagers to play a football game, set up in his honour as a match between his team, Aston Villa, and Bayern Munich.

‘I’ll only be 10 seconds, I’m terrible at this,’ he said, before giving up as his team was losing 2-0.

The Prince had a long and animated chat with a group of supporters and volunteers who work with the young people.

Jess Ioannou, a senior mentor, said: ‘I think he could see the passion and drive. He said that early intervention was one of the most important things to prevent issues down the line such as homelessness or worse.’

Arsenal football player Reiss Nelson, 25, who is currently on loan to Fulham, is a long time supporter of the organisation, having known Mr Holmes-Lewis since he was eight.

‘He’s been a big part of my life,’ he said. ‘Growing up in an area where there’s not much going on.. We are trying to give back. This is just the start, it’s growing and helping so many kids get off the streets.’

The Prince asked some of the children how often they visited and what they did to relax.

‘As long as you’ve got that one thing you can go and do, he said. ‘We’ve all got different things.’

During his visit to Mentivity House, William met the founders of the youth organisation

He joked that Mr Holmes-Lewis, who is also 42, looked younger than him. ‘You’ve aged well, you moisturise well,’ he laughed.

He was clearly impressed with the organisation, saying ‘there should be one in every single town.’

‘Not everyone has Mentivity on their doorstep,’ he told a roundtable discussion hosted by Tim Campbell, a former winner and current advisor on The Apprentice.

‘It feels like you guys are there for the wider life lessons, not just school.

‘You are like life coaches, slash apprenticeships – that’s what you guys are doing. It’s so important.’

The Prince added: ‘Looking around the rest of the country, I can’t think of a place that doesn’t need a Mentivity, and that’s troubling. How do you roll something like this out nationally?’

He admitted that the visit had got his ‘head spinning’ and he already had a few ideas about how to offer support

‘What can we do to build something bigger and have a bigger reach without diluting what you do? I’m already thinking about that,’ he said.

‘There are others like you, but very few. When I find them, I want to join all the dots.’

As he left the centre after around 90 minutes, the Prince was mobbed by locals and posed for multiple selfies.

He spent time with the workers and the centre’s young people, laughing and swapping stories

William laughs with student at the youth organisation, that engages over 400 local young people weekly

William focuses intently as he competes with the students while playing a video game

William will not be taking a break from all royal duties when he joins his wife Kate for their 14th wedding anniversary next week.

The Prince and Princess Wales will celebrate at an isolated self-catering cottage for two on the Isle of Mull in Scotland.

The couple, who walked down the aisle at Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011, are visiting the Scottish Isles as part of a two-day visit to highlight their resilient local communities, as well as the wild natural beauty of the region.

They will arrive on Tuesday and undertake a number of engagements in picturesque Tobermory – made famous by the hit children’s show Balamory – visiting a community hub and an artisan market.

Kate and William will also visit a local Croft to learn about sustainable farming and hospitality.

But as part of their efforts to highlight the importance of the self-sustaining economy in the Inner Hebrides they plan to rent a house for the night on the island, it can be revealed.

The couple are both more at home in the countryside than anywhere else, making it the perfect way, say sources, for them to also celebrate their first wedding anniversary since Catherine, 43, revealed she was in remission from cancer.

The couple have endured what William, 42, last autumn described as a ‘brutal’ year, making their time away even more precious.

Known as the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay – and Lord and Lady of the Isles – William and Catherine will be visiting both the Isles of Mull and Iona.

William and the Mentivity team laugh during the visit to the base in Southwark, south London

William and a young girl react to the outcome of a video game

The royal and a woman pose in the street for pictures and selfies

The Prince of Wales speaks to Reiss Nelson (left) during his visit on Thursday

The Prince of Wales waves at fans as he walks with Mentivity founder, Leon Wright

It is their first visit to the Inner Hebrides, which Their Royal Highnesses have been keen to visit for some time, it is understood. 

The focus of their trip is to highlight rural island communities and the stunning natural environment in which they live.

Mull and Iona are breathtakingly beautiful places – home to dramatic mountains, ancient forests, and stunning beaches, as well as an abundance of wildlife, lochs and waterfalls.

Mull is known as the one of the ‘larders of the UK’ with its plethora of family-run independent businesses selling produce that has been fished, farmed or produced on the islands.

Iona, its tiny neighbour, is popular with visitors thanks to the unique place it holds in the history of Scotland. Both have thriving tourism industries in the summer who come for the breathtaking landscapes and coastlines.