The man became overwhelmed with emotion when he met the future king

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Royals are bound by many rules for their own safety, usually limiting them to formal handshakes or the more modern fist bump in a post-Covid era, however Prince William pushed it all to the side to comfort one emotional resident on a visit to Glasgow. The Duke of Cambridge was visiting the Kennishead area of the city on Wednesday, May 11, with his wife Kate when he encountered an elderly gentleman who became overwhelmed by the day.

Though William and Kate are known for their compassion, as well as wanting to be known more informally by their first names, the royal took it one step further on the visit as he broke the no-hugs rule, the Mirror reports. The pair were meeting people helped by housing care and property management firm The Wheatley Group and learned how the group is helping to transform the lives of disadvantaged or vulnerable people, including those at risk of homelessness.

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As they walked through the crowds the prince met pensioner William Burns who became overwhelmed with his emotion as he met the future king and began to cry. In the heat of the moment kind-hearted William ripped up the rule book and put his arms around the 66-year-old to give him a comforting hug.

It was a marked difference from when other members of the public usually meet royals and stick to formal handshakes and even bows or curtsies. With other members of the public the Duke stuck to shaking hands and small talk. He and his wife are keen to scrap stuffy formality – including curtsies and bows – when on duty.

Their two-day visit to Scotland was focused on mental health and part of the trip included a trip to St John's Primary School in Port Glasgow for a 'Roots of Empathy' session. As parents themselves, it was no surprise to see William and Kate bonding with the little ones during the event, with photos showing Kate cooing over a 10-month-old baby Saul Molloy. It prompted William to joke: "Can you get my wife out of here before she gets broody?" Meanwhile he was kept busy chatting to two-year-old Olivia Wilson.

The Roots of Empathy scheme by Action For Children, which Kate is patron, has been running in Scotland for 12 years. Results are said to show a reduction in violence in adults who have been to classes with babies and greater signs of empathy and emotional intelligence.

Saul has been a so-called 'tiny teacher' since he was four months old spending one lesson every week with the children. The youngsters quizzed Saul's mum Laura Molloy, 34, on updates such as whether he was walking and his height, before playing with toys with him on a green mat.

Wills and Kate joined in nursery rhymes singing and making the required actions Wheels on the Bus and Incy Wincy Spider. Jokey William squeaked the sole of his shoe on the floor to get Saul's attention At the end of the session, Kate, 40, asked: "Do you think lots of schools should have a programme like this." After the 35 kids all sang out "yes", Kate glanced at William and responded saying: "We do too."

The Cambridges then joined 12-year-olds Annie Jones and Zac Hughes, who previously took the Roots of Empathy classes when they were younger. Describing the class, Kate said: "It's really amazing as he first came in so small and is now crawling around. Amazing just watching, seeing how they reacted to different situations."

"Do you think enough young people know about empathy and what it means?" She told them more schools should have classes such as the one she witnessed. And she spoke about the importance of "emotional vocabulary" and "expressing negative emotions" as an adult. Mum-of-three Kate then looked delighted as she got to hold baby Saul in her arms and help him leaf through a children's book called 'That's not my dinosaur".

Afterwards, Laura Molloy, 34, said: "She was really lovely and she said that she would like to see this in every school because it's such an inspirational programme. She thought it was beneficial and could tell by the kids' reaction how much they love the baby. She also loved Saul too and held him for a moment in her arms and said she loves this baby stage. You could tell how motherly she is."

The royal couple were cheered outside by 150 pupils waving Action For Children balloons. Schoolgirl Aria Dow gifted the couple a bottle of gin on behalf of the school. William joked: "Well that's mine". Afterwards, the couple visited Glasgow University where they discussed mental health with staff and students.

They heard about pioneering work being done by researchers at the school of Psychology and Neuroscience and both William and Kate met members of the public outside of the university.