Prince George’s “eyes lit up” when he ate a live ant.
The eight-year-old royal – who is the eldest son of Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge – attended the King’s Cup Regatta on the Isle of Wight two years ago, and adventurer Bear Grylls was invited to meet the young prince by his grandmother Carole Middleton because he was a big fan.
The 47-year-old star didn’t “really mean” to encourage George to tuck into one of the insects but it was a “privilege” to join him in doing so.
Speaking on ‘Good Morning Britain’, Bear said: “And so we were chatting, and he was down here, and just as we were chatting a stream of ants went across his feet, and him and me looked at them, he looked at me with those amazed wide eyes, and I said, ‘Come on, we’ve got to eat one.’ And he said ‘Oh really?’ and we ate.
“It was a privilege to give the future King his first ant, and his eyes lit up as they do with anyone when they’re out in the wild and they face a few fears and they overcome them, so good for him.”
Bear praised the prince for giving the unusual snack a try.
He said: “What a little hero.”
The survival expert went on to win the Regatta and gave George a shout-out during his speech, much to the amusement of the prince’s parents and the rest of the crowd.
He said during the awards ceremony: “And also Prince George, your first ant you ate today … And that is a great moment. Well done, you.”
Eight boats took part in the regatta that year, with each representing one of Catherine or William’s charities.
And the royals themselves competed, with William placing third in the first race and his wife in seventh. And the pair fared even worse in the second race, as the prince’s team were fifth but Catherine’s were disqualified for starting too early.