Prince William spent March 5 in Cornwall celebrating St. Piran’s Day, the county’s national day, where he briefly set aside the title most people associate him with. While he is widely known as the Prince of Wales, during visits to the region he uses another title he inherited in 2022 when his father became king.

In Cornwall, William is known as the Duke of Cornwall, the traditional title held by the heir to the British throne. As head of the Duchy of Cornwall, he oversees an estate that generates roughly £23 million a year, funding both his private and charitable work and helping support his family.

The visit focused on highlighting the resilience of local communities following severe winter storms, making the St. Piran’s Day celebrations an especially meaningful moment for the region.

A royal attempt at making Cornish pasties

One of William’s first stops was an organic farm that supplies ingredients to a well known local bakery. There, he tried his hand at making traditional Cornish pasties, the region’s most famous pastry.

As he watched a bakery employee demonstrate how to fold and pinch the edges of the pastry, William attempted to copy the technique. It quickly became clear that mastering the process was harder than it looked.

“It’s a lot harder than it looks,” he joked as he worked on shaping the pastry. Laughing at his own attempt, he admitted the result was far from perfect.

“This might be coming home with me,” he said before joking that the pasty looked like “a funny little crab.”

During the moment, he also mentioned his wife, Princess Kate, saying she would probably be much better at the task. “This is where I need my wife,” he laughed, adding that Kate would be “all over this.”

A generous gesture behind the bakery counter

Later in the visit, William stepped behind the counter at the bakery’s pasty hut, where another memorable moment unfolded. The prince handed out some of the pastries he had helped make to customers waiting at the shop, insisting they should not pay for them. It appeared he quietly covered the cost himself.

The friendly interaction with locals created several lighthearted moments throughout the day, including one small mix up that quickly went viral.

The hilarious phone call mix up

While helping staff take orders at the Gear Farm Pasty Shop, William answered a phone call from a customer named Josie Trounson.