Prince William tours Doctor Who’s Tardis and meets young Welsh TV trainees in Cardiff
Prince William, the Prince of Wales, swapped palaces for parallel universes this weekend as he stepped inside the Doctor Who Tardis during a visit to Bad Wolf Studios in Cardiff — the home of the BBC’s legendary sci-fi series.
The royal visit brought a touch of regal glamour to the studio, where William was given an exclusive tour of the Tardis set before meeting young creatives who are shaping the future of Welsh television production.
The Prince was also shown the set of The Other Bennet Sister, an upcoming BBC drama, and spoke with trainees from Screen Alliance Wales (SAW) — a training initiative run by Bad Wolf to open doors for aspiring TV professionals. Many of those he met were former recipients of the Prince William Bafta Bursary, a programme that supports new talent in the screen industry.
Jane Tranter, chief executive of Bad Wolf Studios, said the visit was a “complete joy” and praised the Prince for shining a light on the studio’s outreach work.
“We are so incredibly proud of the outreach work being done by Allison Dowzell and the team at Screen Alliance Wales,” she said. “For Prince William to help highlight that means a great deal.”
Tranter added that the Prince took time to speak with several trainees, showing genuine curiosity about their roles across departments ranging from set design and costume to lighting and production.
“He was fascinated to hear how each of the trainees was using their bursary to further their careers,” Tranter said. “It was fantastic to see him take such an interest in the new generation of TV creatives.”
Bad Wolf Studios has become one of the UK’s most dynamic production hubs since its launch in 2015. The Cardiff-based facility has hosted major projects including Doctor Who, His Dark Materials, and Industry, cementing Wales’s reputation as a creative powerhouse.
Screen Alliance Wales, the studio’s in-house training organisation, has provided hundreds of placements and apprenticeships for local residents eager to break into television. Its partnership with Bafta has helped transform opportunities for young Welsh talent — an initiative that Prince William, as Bafta President, has long championed.
During the visit, the Prince was guided through the iconic blue police box — the Tardis, famously “bigger on the inside” — as part of his behind-the-scenes tour. Photographs released by Kensington Palace showed William stepping through the time machine’s doors, smiling as he explored the intricately designed set.
The visit was part of a wider royal engagement in Cardiff focused on creative industries and training opportunities for young people. The Prince has previously spoken about the importance of expanding access to arts and media careers, especially for those from underrepresented backgrounds.
One trainee described the moment as “surreal”, saying it was “not every day you get to meet a prince — or show him around the Tardis”.
The royal encounter also underscored the ongoing collaboration between Bafta, Bad Wolf, and Screen Alliance Wales — a partnership aimed at ensuring that the next generation of Welsh filmmakers and technicians have access to practical experience and professional support.
For the Prince, it was also a personal moment of nostalgia. As a child of the 1980s, William grew up during the show’s revival era, long before the rebooted version captured global audiences with its modern effects and complex storytelling.
His tour concluded with a group photo alongside the trainees — and, of course, the Tardis itself.
With Doctor Who’s new season set to begin filming later this year, the visit added another chapter to the show’s rich history in Cardiff — and gave the Prince of Wales a brief, if symbolic, trip through time and space.