Prince William Asks 100-Year-Old Woman Her Secret to a Long Life and Gets a Surprising Answer

Citizens celebrating their 100th birthday were invited to a reception at Buckingham Palace in honor of Queen Elizabeth’s centenary

Prince William, Prince of Wales speaks to Mrs Joan Illingworth during a reception to celebrate the life of the late Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in central London on April 21, 2026

Prince William with Joan Illingworth at an event honoring Queen Elizabeth’s 100th birthday on April 21, 2026.Credit : Aaron Chown / POOL / AFP via Getty

NEED TO KNOW

Prince William shared a humorous moment with a centenarian during an event honoring Queen Elizabeth’s 100th birthday
King Charles and Queen Camilla hosted the reception, which was held at Buckingham Palace
Other events marking the late Queen’s centenary included a new exhibition of her fashion and a memorial garden opening

Prince William received some unexpected advice about aging during an event commemorating what would have been Queen Elizabeth’s 100th birthday.

On Tuesday, April 21, the Prince of Wales and other members of the royal family honored the late Queen Elizabeth’s legacy with a reception at Buckingham Palace. Hosted by King Charles and Queen Camilla, guests included royals like Kate Middleton, Princess Anne, Prince Edward and Sophie (the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh), as well as citizens celebrating their 100th birthdays.

According to Hello! magazine, William, 43, shared a humorous moment with one of the centenarians, Joan Illingworth.

King Charles III and Queen Camilla cut the cake with Joan Illingworth during a reception at Buckingham Palace, on the 100th anniversary of the birth of Queen Elizabeth II

Joan Illingworth cutting into a 100th birthday cake with Queen Camilla and King Charles.Aaron Chown / POOL / AFP via Getty

The Prince joked that she looked much younger than her 100 years, saying, “I can’t believe you are 100! Do we need to call security, have you snuck in?”

After their conversation, Illingworth said, “The Prince of Wales said I looked well for my age and asked what was my secret.” According to Hello!, she revealed that eating clotted cream fudge and Liquorice allsorts — both popular sweet British confections — was her secret to staying youthful.

King Charles III and Queen Camilla stands next to (sitting) Joan Illingworth, John Jervois and Mary Wood during a reception at Buckingham Palace, on the 100th anniversary of the birth of Queen Elizabeth II on April 21, 2026 in London

King Charles and Queen Camilla greeting the centenarians.Jordan Pettitt – Pool/Getty

At the reception, the invited centenarians dug into a birthday cake, which was decorated with the number “100” in gold. A band performed “Happy Birthday” and King Charles and Queen Camilla personally presented their guests with 100th birthday cards. (Centenary cards are free messages from the King and Queen available to all British nationals. Messages are sent for 100th birthdays, 105th birthdays and each year after 105.)

The royal family also used the occasion to take a rare group photo featuring all the working members.

The reception was only one of the many royal events marking Queen Elizabeth’s centenary. (The late monarch died in 2022 at age 96; she would’ve turned 100 on April 21.)

On Monday, April 20, King Charles, 77, and Queen Camilla, 78, stepped out to visit the new exhibition Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style, which is being held at the King’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace. The exhibit features over 300 items from the Queen’s wardrobe, with over half of the exhibition pieces on display for the first time.

The King’s sister, Princess Anne, 75, marked the occasion by officially opening The Queen Elizabeth II Garden in Regent’s Park, London on April 21. King Charles and Queen Camilla also attended the British Museum on the same day, to view the design recommendations for an upcoming memorial in Queen Elizabeth’s honor.