Prince William Receives Surprising Answer from Centenarian About the Secret to Living to 100

Prince William was offered insight about getting older during an event commemorating what would have been Queen Elizabeth’s 100th birthday on Tuesday, April 21.

The 43-year-old Prince of Wales joined his father, King Charles III, and stepmother, Queen Camilla, at Buckingham Palace for a reception honoring the late Queen Elizabeth II’s life and celebrating U.K. citizens who’ve turned 100.

At the event, per Hello! magazine, William had the chance to ask one of the centenarians, Joan Illingworth, about her secret to reaching 100.

“The Prince of Wales said I looked well for my age and asked what was my secret,” Illingworth told the outlet.

Turns out Illingworth informed the prince that eating clotted cream fudge and Liquorice Allsorts — two popular sweet treats in the U.K. — was what’s kept her aging gracefully.

According to People, the celebration for the late queen — who died at the age of 96 in 2022 — included a birthday cake decorated with the number 100. A band also performed “Happy Birthday,” and both the king and queen presented their centenarian guests with birthday cards.

The United Kingdom has a tradition of honoring centenarians, with the monarch sending birthday cards to citizens at age 100, 105 and each year thereafter, People reported.

Also this week, Buckingham Palace unveiled a new exhibition honoring the late monarch’s fashion over the years. The exhibit features over 300 items from Queen Elizabeth’s wardrobe, according to the outlet.