Ben Affleck jokes that son Samuel caught a cold from Prince George

Ben Affleck joked that his son "caught a cold" from Prince George.
Ben Affleck joked that his son "caught a cold" from Prince George. 

You would think being Ben Affleck's son would be enough of a claim to fame in pre-school social circles.

But now little Samuel Affleck has something else to boast to his friends about. Samuel's famous dad joked his son caught a cold from the future King of England.

In an appearance on the Graham Norton show,  Affleck explained how his son got playing with the future king of England at an indoor play park while the family was in London.

Prince George was a surprise guest at a London play centre.
Prince George was a surprise guest at a London play centre. Photo: Samir Hussein

"Despite going to Windsor Castle, Tower of London and Buckingham Palace, we didn't see one royal," Affleck said.

"Then when it was raining I took my youngest to one of those kids' indoor play parks. It was pretty empty, and then I noticed this weird vibe from the other grownups.

"I thought, 'For a kids' place, this is tight security!' I was the very last person to realise that Prince George and Princess Charlotte were in there playing with my kid.

"I can now tell him that he got a cold from the king of England!"

US Weekly deduced that the encounter probably happened back in April, when Affleck's estranged wife and fellow thespian Jennifer Garner visited him with their three children in London as he filmed Justice League.

As well as Samuel, four, the pair are parents to Violet, 10, and Seraphina, seven.