Prince William tells groom-to-be: "You shouldn't be here!"

"Tomorrow? You shouldn't be here!" Prince William laughed when he learned he was meeting a groom on the eve of his wedding.

The exchange came at Urban MBA in East London during Black Enterprise Week, where William met 29-year-old Joseph Simeon, HELLO! reports. Simeon had come along to the royal visit even though his own wedding was due the very next day.

Simeon is a New York-based investment banker and an alumnus of The Amos Bursary. The Bursary is a British programme that helps young Black British students into university, professional careers and leadership roles. Simeon was there as an example of where that path can lead.

He told William his wedding was imminent. William did not miss a beat. "Tomorrow? You shouldn't be here!" he replied, then asked if Simeon should instead be at home preparing his speech. It got a big laugh from those around them.

It is a question most grooms recognise. Speeches, suits, last-minute nerves. Simeon took it in good spirit and stayed to chat.

He told the Prince that The Amos Bursary had been transformative in his life. That is his word for it. He has stayed involved since and now gives back as a mentor to younger students joining the scheme.

William's visit put the spotlight on that mentoring chain and on support for the next generation of Black British leaders. He spent time with several former bursary students described as "high achievers", hearing how they had moved from school and university into competitive jobs.

Among that group were an Oxford graduate and a trainee barrister. The conversations were brief and informal. Handshakes, introductions and quick career stories rather than formal speeches.

What makes this stand out is the sheer normality of it. A groom with a wedding the next day still wanted to show up, shake a hand and talk about the programme that shaped him. William's joke landed because everyone knows he had a point.