Prince William's Viral 'Model Moment' Has Royal Fans Swooning

Prince William is the subject of a new viral video as behind-the-scenes footage of the royal modeling for a charity photoshoot in 2010 has been widely shared after resurfacing on social media this month.

William has been the subject of many portrait photographs over the course of his lifetime. He has posed for some of the biggest celebrity photographers of the past five decades, including Mario Testino and Lord Snowdon.

A clip posted to TikTok on July 2 by user princess__jo shows the prince acting as a model for a photograph taken to fundraise for a British homeless charity.

In 2010, William patronised the fundraiser titled 'A Positive View' for Crisis. This charity assists and supports people in Britain who find themselves without safe homes or shelter.

The royal agreed to have his picture taken by amateur photographer Jeff Hubbard, who himself had experience with homelessness and went on to work with the Crisis charity. William, in turn, agreed to take a photo of Hubbard. The two results would then be displayed side-by-side and sold to raise money in a larger exhibition. Both Hubbard and the prince were assisted by the famous fashion and celebrity photographer Rankin.

The viral video shows footage of William modeling in a plain black polo-neck shirt seated against a white background as Hubbard takes some shots.

The video has been viewed over 160,000 times on the social media platform and received more than 8,000 likes and 200 comments. Many have praised the royal and compared his appearance to that of his late mother, Princess Diana.

"Not only looks like his mum but he has the exact same mannerisms!" wrote one user.

"Even the future King has had an iconic model moment. So much like Lady Diana Mario Testino photos," posted another, with a further comment reading: "He is so adorable."

When the final photographs from the charity shoot were completed, they were displayed in London and eventually sold by Christie's auction house. The portraits of William caused some controversy when first revealed to the public, sparking debate over whether his hair had been digitally enhanced to look thicker and darker.

Hello magazine in Britain, who published the photos in a glossy exclusive, said palace aides confirmed that some digital enhancements had been made to the portraits. This was in keeping with the style of overseeing photographer, Rankin, who had creative control.

William took the controversy in good humor. When he made an appearance at the auction fundraising reception, he said, per the U.K. newspaper Daily Express: "I've dyed my hair especially to come here tonight."

"Jeff, it was such fun working with you under the master that is Rankin," he added in his speech. "Thank you, Rankin, especially for the mop of black hair."

The double portraits of Hubbard and William sold for £24,000 to an unnamed buyer.

In the years since the photography fundraiser, William has continued his work with homeless charities, making the cause a central pillar of his public commitments.

In June, the prince announced his ambitious "Homewards" project. This is a five-year financial and educational commitment to six hub sites around Britain, seeking to provide a sustainable model to end homelessness.

Speaking of the new program, William said, per a press release: "In a modern and progressive society, everyone should have a safe and secure home, be treated with dignity and given the support they need.

"Through Homewards, I want to make this a reality and over the next five years, give people across the U.K. hope that homelessness can be prevented when we collaborate."

James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter based in London. You can find him on Twitter at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.

Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.