'Everybody needs their own popcorn': William serves snacks to moviegoers and ignores questions about Diana book
As he arrived he avoided questions about whether he had read Earl Spencer's controversial book about Princess Diana
The Prince of Wales served popcorn and sold tickets to moviegoers as he celebrated grassroots cinema, but was dogged by a question about Earl Spencer’s book.
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William dished out one bag of the salted treat to three regulars at ActOne Cinema in west London and when told they would share, he joked: “Are you sure? Everybody needs their own popcorn – it’s moreish.”
But he struggled with processing the tickets and as he tapped buttons on the till, under the watchful eye of staff, he told the trio: “I made this very slow, I apologise.”
The cinema is celebrating its fifth anniversary after being launched in a former library in Acton.
Read More: All the claims from Charles Spencer's Diana book, Swan Song
As William arrived, he did not respond as a member of the press shouted: “Sir, how do you feel about your uncle’s book – have you read it?”
Headlines have been dominated for much of the past week by Earl Spencer’s book about William’s late mother Diana, Princess of Wales.
Earl Spencer has made a series of damning allegations about the King, including the explosive claim that Charles said “we’ll forget her soon enough” following Diana’s death, prompting a war of words between him and Buckingham Palace.
The prince sat down in one of the cinema’s two screens with a group of young filmmakers, some of whom have had short movies selected for October’s Ealing Film Festival, and quizzed them about their prospects in the industry.
He said despite the opportunities provided by numerous platforms and streaming services it appeared to be a case of filling “dead man’s shoes”.
When told the first difficult step was moving to London, William replied: “That’s where your belief in yourself is so important, that artistic vision.
“This needs to be – ‘I want to do this’ – so strong, because otherwise there must be so many headwinds that you come across… to keep going is really important.”
Later William and Kate will attend the world premiere of the new Tom Cruise film Digger – as a Royal Film Performance, it will raise funds for the Film and TV Charity which works to create healthier and more supportive working environments.
Cathy Johns, 71, whose popcorn was served by William, said she would keep her film ticket as a souvenir, adding: “He did pretty well, he needed a bit of help from the regulars.
“This cinema has transformed Acton, it’s absolutely benefited the community hugely, and you get to see all the blockbusters and independent films.”