Before Prince William was a married man with two children, he was a teenage heartthrob, driving young, squealing girls into a frenzy wherever he went.
READ/WATCH MORE: Full coverage of the Royal Visit 2016
Students at Burnaby South Secondary did not escape the “Wills mania”–as it was dubbed by the British press–when Prince William visited their school with his brother, Prince Harry, and father, Prince Charles, 18 years ago.
Hundreds of screaming teenagers filled the school’s front yard, some even climbing on trees to get a better glimpse of the dashing young prince.
Liana Ranallo caught up with the prince in Vancouver.
Sixteen-year-old Ranallo appears in the Global News video of Prince William’s 1998 visit at the one-minute mark (on the right in the photo below).
She says, like for almost every other girl her age, Prince William was her teenage crush. But she also had sympathy for a young man who lost his mother several months before the visit.
“Your heart broke for him and his family,” Ranallo said. “I think the fascination just carried on.”
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On the day of Prince William’s visit, Ranallo and her friend took a day off school, with their parents’ approval, and went on a wild chase around the city to try to catch a glimpse.
WATCH: Take a look back at Will-mania – Royal Visit draws memories of ’98
With no Twitter or Facebook to track the movement of the royals, Ranallo and her friend had to rely on conventional TV news reports about where Prince William, Prince Charles and Prince Harry might be making a stop to shake some hands.
They finally caught up with them outside Canada Place, where Global News interviewed her.
“All the girls were screaming,” Ranallo said.
The pictures Ranallo took when she finally caught up with Prince William, Prince Harry and Prince Charles during the 1998 visit:
Nearly two decades down the road, Ranallo says she is still a dedicated Prince William fan.
“It’s crazy how things can come back into your life twenty years later,” she said. “I follow them on TV and read about their family growing. You are just happy for him that he found true love after going through such a heartbreak with his mom’s passing.”
Ranallo says it’s exciting to see Prince William all grown-up.
“We are basically the same age. Your lives change at the same time,” she said.
This is what 34-year-old Ranallo, who is now married and recently gave birth to a baby, looks like now:
Ranallo did not get a chance to see Prince William and Kate when they were in Vancouver on Sunday, but she is excited to have the royal couple in town.
“Some people question the expense of the royal visit,” she said. “But he will be king one day and it’s really good to see the future King of England visiting and expressing interest in Vancouver and B.C.”
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