William's Interviews

Diana Concert Interview Announcement
19 November, 2004
21st Birthday
Mid-way through his university course- 30 May 2005
Beginning at St Andrews- September 2001
Eighteenth Birthday
Sixteenth Birthday

Transcript of broadcast footage for Prince William and Prince Harry’s announcement of commemorations for Diana, Princess of Wales.

Question
Next year is the tenth anniversary of the loss of your mother. How are you planning to mark this?

Prince William
Next year we hope to commemorate and celebrate our mother’s life, as it’s been ten years since she died, with a memorial service on August 31st in London. And then a concert, a tribute concert, celebrating her life on July 1st on her birthday.

Question
Harry, who will be attending the church service?

Prince Harry
The service is going to include both sides of the family, our mother’s side and our father’s side - everyone getting together. It should be a good occasion and lots of loud hymns, I Vow To Thee My Country, all the good ones. And, no, it should be a very sort of simple and nice service.

Question
And I think you’re both very closely involved in the organisation of these events, both the church service and the concert. Tell us a bit about that…

Prince William
Well we both wanted to put our stamp on it. We want it to represent exactly what our mother would have wanted; how she was and all that sort of thing. So therefore the church service alone isn’t enough. We wanted to have this big concert with, you know, full of energy, full of the sort of fun and happiness which I know she would have wanted. And on her birthday as well, it’s got to be the best birthday present she ever had. And with it we can, by, the two of us organising it…we wanted to have the fact that the evening is all about our mother. The main purpose is to celebrate and to have fun and to remember her in a fun way.

Question
It sounds like an amazing concert. Have you got some exciting artists already lined up?

Prince William
Yeah, we’ve got some brilliant people coming and we really want to thank everyone who’s taken part and who’s given up their time to come. And loads of people coming from, from far away and across the ocean and things like that. So really, really kind. But to name a few, because we don’t want to name everyone because we want to keep a surprise…we’ve got Sir Elton John; we’ve got the English National Ballet; Andrew Lloyd Webber is doing an exclusive sort of greatest hits bit; and then we’ve got Pharrell Williams…

Prince Harry
And Joss Stone. There’s plenty, plenty more, don’t worry!

Prince William
That’s a little flavour.

Prince Harry
A little flavour.

Prince William
But the idea is we wanted to get artists that our mother really loved, and then artists that both Harry and I enjoy, and in the middle with the ballet and Andrew Lloyd Webber - obviously she loved her dancing and her musicals. So with that you’ve got a sort of something different, it’s not just any old concert. It’s going to be different and it’s going to be interesting. If it works it will be brilliant, if it doesn’t then we won’t be in the country!

Prince Harry
You won’t see us for a very long time.

Question
And will we see you dancing?

Prince William
I really hope not!

Prince Harry
I hope so! Him, not me. I hope that we can get the chance to see him dance.

Prince William
It’ll be a terrifying sight if we do. But, yeah well, you know –

Prince Harry
We’ll be kicking around, we’ll be there… we should be on stage at some point. Probably at the beginning of the night - not towards the end.

Question
That sounds like an amazing line up and of course it will be one of the first concerts to be held at the new Wembley Stadium, that’s quite an exciting prospect.

Prince William
It is absolutely brilliant. We’re really lucky that we’ve got the Wembley Stadium and the Arena. And along with a whole load of partners who are helping along, in the whole event, it should run really smoothly and they’ve given up so much of their time to help. And of course having Wembley itself is brilliant. And not that the President of the FA had anything to do with it, but it’s, it’s brilliant, it really is and it’s the best place to have it next year definitely.

Question
So have you decided upon a name for the concert yet?

Prince William
Yes, we’ve decided that it’s going to be called Concert for Diana, because obviously the evening is going to be purely about her. And, as we both want to make sure, first and foremost the evening is for her. It’s to remember her and to commemorate her life and celebrate it.

Question
I think you’re also hoping to raise some money for some charities as well?

Prince William
Yes, we are. We’re raising money for Centrepoint and Sentebale. I’m Patron of Centrepoint and Harry’s Patron of Sentebale. They’re both charities that continue on from our mother’s legacy. And also for the Diana Memorial Fund and her five main charities that she was patron of, or had a great deal of interest in, just before she died.

Question
And I think you went to Centrepoint with your mother, is that right?

Prince William
I did, yes, when I was very small, yes. She dragged me out and I didn’t know what was going on or where I was or anything, but it’s a visit that stayed with me for ever. And, yes, that’s true. And I’m very glad that she did. And it’s a wonderful charity and I really hope we can do an awful lot for them.

Question
And Harry, you setting up Sentebale in Lesotho, that was a way, I think you said, of continuing your mother’s legacy and her work with those suffering with Aids and HIV.

Prince Harry
Very, very much so. As I mentioned two years ago or so, Lesotho was a country that we just, we chose because of the fact that it wasn’t even on the map. I’d never heard of it, and the problems it has with Aids. So, obviously, it’s associated with all the countries that she’s been to as well, when she was around. So it’s just a chance to sort of carry on what she left behind really.

Question
Okay, so if people want to get tickets to the concert or find out more how do they go about that?

Prince William
We’ve got to be very good and ask Santa very nicely.

Prince Harry
Or ring his mobile.

Prince William
Or ring my mobile. Shut up. And there’s going to be a website set up which is “concertfordiana.com” and you can go there and find out all you need to know about the concert.

Prince William's interview in his last year at St. Andrews - Nov 19 2004

As he approaches the end of his geography degree at the University of
St Andrews, Prince William has spoken of what he plans for the
future, how he may serve in the Armed Forces and how he managed to
fit in to normal student life in Scotland.

Have you had a good time at St Andrews?

I've had a really good time, it's been brilliant. I've really enjoyed
it.

What's been so good about it?

Basically, apart from the fact all the locals are really warm,
friendly and I get on really well with them, I've been left alone by
the media, in a big way actually, and for that I am very grateful.
It's been just three and a half years obviously so far where I've
been very independent and been left alone to study and do my own
thing.

Have you been able to lead as normal a life as someone like you can?

Definitely. There's lots of people saying it's impossible to lead a
normal life really but actually up here, and with the media out of
it, it's amazing how people just get on with their lives and will not
bother you. Everyone up here, I have to say, has been as good as
gold, I couldn't ask for anything better.

I used to walk around with a baseball cap; I don't anymore because
everyone doesn't really care anymore. It's just brilliant.

You haven't had to wear a wig or anything ridiculous like that?

No. That's a different issue actually, but no I haven't.

Are you able to do basic things, such as going to the shops?

I do all my own shopping. I go out, get takeaway, rent videos, go to
the cinema, just basically anything I want to really. There are
obviously certain talks I can't go to if people come up here, [but]
that's really the only restriction.

But initially presumably when you were in a shop, they must have done
a double take when you were at the checkout?

Not really. Obviously if it's in London, or somewhere like that, then
yes because people are like 'hang on a sec, isn't that someone or
other?'. But up here it's so good because everyone sees me around the
whole time and it's no big deal, which is what I really want it to
be.

The last thing I want to do is cause loads of hype or problems, I
just want to go in there and get my asparagus or whatever. So, it's
really worked well.

So you've got to the stage where you can go in, buy your asparagus,
hand over a note with your grandmother on it and no-one reacts?

Usually I'm not organised enough to have cash, I pay with my credit
card. But apart from that, yes.

That must be very precious to you.

Yes it is and you know I've been lucky enough to know this side of it
and I always hope it's going to stay that way, because deep down I am
pretty normal. I'm not really big into fanfare and excitement and
things like that but I can rise to the occasion when I need to.

Have you had odd approaches in the street?

I've had the odd one or two. If you're implying that I've been
proposed to in the street, then yes I have. And people sort of come
up to me, Jehovah's witnesses, I've had very devout Christians come
up saying 'there's more to the word of God'.

I've had lots of kids come up and ask for my autograph, I've had a
grandmother stop me and ask me if I know a good place to buy
underwear.

Do you?

No, actually, I don't. I was a bit stuck by that one. I didn't mind
being proposed to but that one really caught me out. I was a little
bit stumped as to what to say on that one.

The proposal presumably was from a young kid.

Yes it was. I don't know old she was, 14, 15? It was very sweet of
her to ask me but I had to decline, sadly.

This is quite a critical time for a student as far as exams go.

Because it's modular up here, I've done half my degree already thank
goodness, because I could be in a lot of trouble if it all came at
once. I'm now doing the other half this year. I've got my
dissertation to write, two exams at the end of this year, then I'll
have review essays and other exams to go on at the end of May next
year.

Are you worried about the new pressures you'll face when you leave?

I am worried about it obviously, but I don't really think about it
too much. There's no point worrying about things which are not really
present yet. I like to take every day as it comes, have a good time
and get on with it.

There are obviously areas that I am being pushed into to do, but I
can be quite stubborn when I want to. It's not that I never want to
do it, it's just that I'm reluctant at such a young age, I think
anyway, to throw myself in to the deep end.

In previous interviews you've talked about wanting to be in control
of your own choices.

I really do want to be in control of my own life. If I don't agree
with what someone's saying, or someone's pushing on me, then I won't
do it. If I'm wrong and they're right and people tell me that, then
obviously I'll change my mind. I'm always open for people saying I'm
wrong because most of the time I am. I hate losing control. It's very
important to see what you want to do and go for it.

You mentioned the "deal" agreed with the media to let you complete
your degree in peace. Will that disappear when you leave St Andrews?

I hope the relationship will still stay, because it's been
invaluable. Basically I would not have been able to have such a good
time up here without all the help they've given. It's been a
difficult time [and I've] tried to help out as much as I can with
media facilities. I'm more than happy to help when the agreement's
been kept - and it has been. I hope it's been as good for the media
as it has been for me and a healthy and positive relationship will
keep going.

Have you grown used to being in the spotlight?

You never really grow used to it, because it's something that's very
alien to most people. There are very few people you can talk to about
it because no-one really knows what it's like apart from family,
mostly. I wouldn't really say I've grown used to it because I'm not
really the attention-seeking type. So being in the centre of the
spotlight is kind of awkward but it's something I've got to do and
something I can adapt to.

I've spent 22 years being in the spotlight, you don't really know
much different. I value the normality I can get, doing simple things,
doing normal things more than anything, rather than getting things
done for me, which I'm not a big fan of.

There was a magazine with your picture on it in a shop window nearby -
does that seem odd?

It's obviously odd. As long as I'm smiling in the photo I don't
really mind.

Are you thinking about a future career?

Again, there's a slight lack of organisation on my part for that. I
really don't know what I'm going to do. I've hinted already about the
possibility of the Armed Forces. It's really getting through the next
few months, with my exams and work and concentrating on that [that
I'm focused on now]. Then I'll take a bit of time off, do a bit of
travelling and get some work done and then see which course I take.

Sandhurst must be a very attractive option.

Without a doubt, Sandhurst would be attractive. That's why Harry is
going as a guinea pig first, to see what happens. I can say this
honestly: I haven't set my mind on anything yet. But there's plenty
of possibilities open.

What appeals to you about Sandhurst?

If I was going to join the Army, which out of all the Armed Forces
would probably be my favourite - also so I could do something
different since a lot of the family joined the Navy - the Army is
obviously a lot more in the spotlight at the moment [with] the things
the guys are doing, how professional they're acting.

I was listening to someone the other day on radio saying how
particularly the remembrance service, it really does bring it home
when you're there and there's actually a war going on somewhere at
the time and the guys are fighting their hearts out.

And Sandhurst itself would be a great place to learn how to lead and
to earn respect and just treat other men and other guys who I'd be
looking after with the ability which I hope I could do.

It would be a challenge for the people who deploy you on where to
send you, the second in line to the throne.

That obviously is another problem. Talks would happen before I went
anywhere. But the last thing I want to do is be mollycoddled or
wrapped up in cotton wool, because if I was to join the Army I'd want
to go where my men went and I'd want to do what they did.

I would not want to be kept back for being precious, or whatever,
that's the last thing I'd want. It's the most humiliating thing and
it would be something I'd find very awkward to live with, being told
I couldn't go out there when these guys have got to go out there and
do a bad job.

Have you been impressed by the start Prince Harry has made with his
charity work?

He's pinched all [the best ideas] of mine! In terms of Africa and
aids and poverty, both of us have very strong ideas of how we want to
help and of course in the future I would like to help. But in terms
of anything else, there are areas I'd like to help in but it's more
about discovering which areas my particular passions lie in, which
I'm still doing.

Homelessness would be one area, wouldn't it?

Homeless people, obviously, I've done a bit for privately and
publicly over the last few years and that's one particular area I'm
passionate about. My mother introduced that sort of area to me a long
time ago, which was a real eye-opener and I'm very glad she did and
it's been something I've held close to me for a long time.

How is your wider relationship with Harry?

There's very little age gap between us so we're both pretty similar
in that sense and we get along really well, Harry and I and my
father, we're a very close family. There are disagreements, obviously
as all families have and when they are, they are big disagreements.

But when they're happy times we have a really good time, it's just
difficult getting all three of us in the same house at one point.
Obviously father is very busy, Harry's travelling or whatever and I'm
up here. It's just difficult. [But] it's all good.

You went to the Cenotaph for remembrance Sunday. What was that
experience like?

That was amazing. It was an incredible service. It makes you very
proud to be British and to see such an amazing ceremony and
formalities, very dignified. It's obviously a very serious day to
remember and it's done in such a way that you really do, it's very
poignant. And obviously even more particularly now with the Iraq
conflict. So as a first timer there it was very moving.

But I was very glad I was there to hopefully represent the young and
make sure everyone else realises that the young have not forgotten,
as many of my friends keep telling me. It's definitely the case.

Do you think that's important?

Very important, definitely. It should never be forgotten what
everyone's sacrificed, all the war veterans have sacrificed for all
of us to be as we are.

You were up on the balcony, a 22-year-old, with a view of a 108-year-
old on the ground.

Amazing, absolutely incredible. I was glad he was in a wheelchair for
his own sake - it was a long old walk. But someone like that I have
huge respect for, it was quite something to witness.

Did you look down on the Queen during the ceremony and think 'one day
that'll be me'?

I didn't really look at it like that - it's not a day to look at it
like that. I was thinking how proud and smart my grandmother looked -
and my father, my grandfather and the rest of my family - and I just
thought that's a really good way to start the ceremony. It makes you
really proud seeing them there and also knowing how much they
appreciate what has happened.

Is it an odd thought that one day you will be king? Does it keep you
awake?

It's not like that. The thing is with me, I look on the brighter side
of everything. There's no point being pessimistic or being worried
about too many things because frankly life's too short. At the moment
it's about having fun in the right places, enjoying myself as much as
I can. I'm trying to do that. The serious side of that doesn't really
need to worry me too much yet.

You've made it clear in the past that you would not be a reluctant
king.

I don't think I am, [but] I have reservations about everything. The
fortunate thing is I have had such a normal childhood in certain
extents and it would very hard to see that slip away. But I always
hope that no matter what, I'll keep that side going. Keeping your
feet firmly on the ground is the most important thing. And I don't
want to be whipped up into a frenzy.

Has your grandmother been useful in talking about the future?

She's been brilliant, she's a real role model. She's just very
helpful on any sort of difficulties or problems I might be having.
But I'm quite a private person as well so I don't really talk that
much about what I sort of feel or think.

What about your dad. You've seemed defensive of him in the past in
terms of some criticism aimed at him.

He's had a difficult time and you know it's just sad. I said this the
last time - I'm sure I used the same words - but I just wish more of
his charitable work was concentrated on because he does do a hell of
a lot of work. The Prince's Trust is just an amazing organisation and
I just really hold him in great admiration about the amount of time
he gives up to do work here and there.

You've talked about being close to your grandmother - are you close
to your granddad?

I'm very close to my grandfather. He makes me laugh, he's very funny.
He's also someone who will tell me something that maybe I don't want
to hear, but still tell me anyway and he won't care if I get upset
about it. He knows it's the right thing to say and I'm glad he tells
me because the last thing I want is lots of people telling me what I
want to hear. I'd much rather hear what the reality of it is.

You admire his bluntness, even if it might be painful?

Exactly - the odd bluntness here and there.

Did he play with you much as a kid, rolling around on the floor and
that kind of thing?

As a youngster I did not spend a lot of time with my grandparents -
they were busy. But I've got to know him much better now in the last
few years and have become very close to them and I just really look
up to them.

Are you excited about the future?

I am, because as much as I've loved St Andrews and I've loved being
here and being at university, I am ready now to get out and do
different stuff. There's so much I want to do and it worries me
occasionally I won't be able to do it all. But I'll make a good start
of it anyway.

So you're excited, but with a bit of trepidation.

Definitely.

Interview for his 21st - 6.20.03

"My guiding principles in life are to be honest, genuine, thoughtful and caring," said the 21-year-old Prince.

Sat on a golden sofa at St James's Palace beneath a gilt-framed picture by Van Der Meulen, he was a modern Royal in denim jeans and open-necked shirt. William slipped off his shoes and sipped still mineral water, at ease in surroundings fit for a king. But the unassuming young man, who has already experienced much in his relatively short life, is equally at home in a student's room with utility furniture and posters for Old Masters. At times amusing but always sincere, the heir of Charles, Prince of Wales and second in line to the throne, was intriguing, yet easy to be with. His firm handshake, welcoming smile and boyish charm were a winning combination. However, William left no doubt who was in control.

"I'm not an over-dominant person, I don't go around and expect everyone to listen to me the whole time. But I like to be in control of my life because I have so many people around me, I can get pulled in one direction and then the other. If I don't have any say in it, then I end up just losing complete control and I don't like the idea of that. I could actually lose my identity."

Without prompting, he continued: "A lot of people think I'm hugely stubborn about the whole thing. But you have to be slightly stubborn because everybody wants you for one reason or another. If you don't stick to your guns and stick to your decision, then you lose control."

However, William insisted that he did listen to advice.

"I do listen, of course I listen. I listen to what people have to say to me and I make my own judgments from there. "I don't go off and say 'Oh no no, I'm not listening to you', and completely ignore their advice. I do take in whatever people say to me and around me, and then I'll make my own decision. I think it's very important that you make your own decision about what you are. Therefore you're responsible for your actions, so you don't blame other people."

William, who is midway through a four-year Master of Arts degree at St Andrews University in Scotland, had come to London where earlier his grandmother, the Queen had celebrated the 50th anniversary of her Coronation. But he is not rushing into a life of public service and regulation as a full-time Royal. With his grandmother in robust health at the age of 77 and his father still in his prime, William knows there is time enough. However, he is already developing leadership skills as a peacemaker and mediator among his peers.

"If I can do something to help as me and not just because of who I am, then that's really important to me. I can calm situations," he said. William remains particularly close to his younger brother, 18-year-old Prince Harry, with whom he suffered the terrible trauma and heartache of their mother, Diana's early and tragic death.

"I have a very good relationship with my brother, we've grown up together and we have to go through a lot of things together. We've grown up around the same things and the same people, and we'll always have that common bond. We ring each other quite a lot. He usually rings me up to tell me some incredibly amusing story and the things he gets up to. He is a very nice guy and he's very caring."

In many ways, William, who was born into an extraordinary life, manages to be an ordinary student. He cuts a dashing figure. At just under 6ft 4ins, he is sporty and keeps fit, excelling in water polo, swimming and rugby. He supports Aston Villa Football Club and sticks with the Birmingham-based Premiership side, partly because he likes the fans.

"Villa supporters are dedicated – they are great because, although Villa don't always win, they stay loyal."

William loves new-style R&B music and enjoys dancing. He revels in banter with the boys and nights out drinking cider. If he fancies a girl, he chats her up. But he is concerned that his girlfriends must be protected from the media spotlight, knowing the pressure his own mother was subjected to when she married into the Royal Family. He watches TV and admits to having "very square eyes" at the moment. He likes going to the cinema to see action movies and he drives a car but prefers his high-speed motorbike.

"I have a small lap-top computer mostly for university work but I use it occasionally for playing the odd game and surfing the Internet, But I haven't checked my e-mail for so long I think it's vanished – wiped away."

The 21-year-old Prince may not keep in touch on-line but he is certainly in touch with modern Britain and knows that the monarchy must be relevant to ordinary people's lives to survive. How he handles the tabloid tales and maintains a higher sense of purpose could be his key to a happy and fulfilled life. Fun-loving William chose an "Out of Africa" theme for his 21st birthday party to get the Royal Family into fancy dress. More than 300 family and friends were invited to tonight's (Saturday) Windsor Castle party to mark William's coming of age. Senior Royals and university students, all in fancy dress, will take to the dance floor to music by a band and a DJ. And William likes to dance. Having a family party was the idea of the Prince of Wales who, with the Queen, set about helping to organize it. William, who is teaching himself Swahili and loves his trips on safari, chose the fancy-dress theme.

"I thought it would quite fun to see the family out of black tie and get everyone to dress up, It just gives it a bit of character. You can decorate a place and really make it feel like a party. Black tie is good but it's a little bit sterile. I thought fancy dress would be quite fun."

In the run-up to the party, William still had not decided on his own costume. "I'm a little bit stuck on what to wear," he said. "I haven't thought much about it." Laughing, he said: "The party is on my birthday, June 21 – my 21st on the 21st, which is Midsummer's Day, the longest day of the year and the longest night for a lot of people who are helping to organise it. My father very kindly suggested having a party, although he's probably regretting it now. But he very kindly offered, and my grandmother and my father basically helped to organise it all. My grandmother may be slightly apprehensive as to what she's going to wear, and what's going to happen, but she's very much looking forward to it. She's very positive towards the whole thing." Then with a hint of fun in his voice, William added: "I don't know what she's going to wear but I'm sure she'll look very amazing in whatever she chooses." The 21-year-old student Prince loves music, particularly new-style R&B, rap, hip-hop, dance and even pop.

"We're having a band and a DJ," he said. "They'll play a selection of classic soul covers and 70s funk. "I like most music really. I'm not that fussy. But I do like my music. I'm not one for buying a lot of CDs. I listen to the radio a lot and I don't go out and buy something unless I really like it. But there is quite a lot of good music out at the moment." Party guests would be sitting down to dinner, rather than having a buffet, but the menu would not be too exotic. We're not going to go drown the whole party in an African theme," said William. "The dress is African and the tables will be decorated, along with the rooms. Lots of people will be wondering if we're actually going to be eating crocodile, but obviously we won't be doing that," he said with a wide grin. "It's not going to be African food, even though it will be hilarious to see everyone's faces when they read the menu! We sent out just over 300 invitations - lots of family and lots of my friends, and my brother and my father have invited friends. There'll be the immediate family and also Godparents."

William added that he would also like to have a barbecue party this summer at Highgrove, which he refers to as "home".

"It would be for people who've helped to look after me at home," he said.

Diana showed him the way and now William wants to help the homeless just as his mother did. He told of the influence Diana had on him and how he hopes to use his position as a Royal, to help people.

William said: "I was influenced a lot by my visits to hostels with my mother when I was younger. I learned a lot from it, more so now than I did at the time. It's made me aware and I think homelessness is one of those topics that people kind of gloss over and don't really focus on. It is an important issue that needs to be understood and highlighted. My mother used her position very well to help other people, as does my father, and I hope to do the same."

But William was wary of committing himself.

“There are a few areas that I am particularly interested in but at the moment I've got to concentrate on university and get through that."

The Prince also mentioned his mother, Diana when he talked about his 21st birthday photographs taken by Mario Testino.

"He did take some pictures of my mother – I've seen them and I think they're amazing," said William.

Then jokingly, he put himself down: "I chose Mario because he's the only person who could make a moose look good," he said.

William called on his father's critics to give the Prince of Wales a break. Taking up the mantle of his father, William said Charles had been given a hard time and deserved better.

"He does so many amazing things," said the supportive son. "I only wish people would see that more because he's had a very hard time and yet he's stuck it out and he's still very positive. "And he's very happy and protective towards Harry and me as well."

William said his father had been a "huge influence" on him, especially concerning rural issues, like organic farming and sustainability, for example.

"I'm one of his biggest fans in that sense," he said. "He's been given quite a hard time recently and I just wish that people would given him a break."

Among other issues, William shares his father's concern for the future of the countryside and warned that rural communities were dying partly because of a dearth of affordable housing for young people. He said: "At the moment there are quite a few challenges facing the countryside. To me one of the worrying things is the lack of affordable housing for the younger generation. If younger people leave, there's no future for the countryside. All the inherited skills you get passed down from farmers, for example, will be lost. But I know this is a problem, beyond the countryside, for young people who are just starting out."

William recalled when he worked on a farm in the West Country and how hard country life was for farm workers and their families.

"Working as a farm hand during my gap year was very, very hard," he said. "It was the toughness of it. Admittedly, I was exhausted after only a week as a dairy farm hand, and the guy I was working with did it every day of his life. There's hardly any social life because of the hours you work which makes it an even tougher job. There were so many genuine people. They didn't care who I was and made me do the jobs I should be doing, like mucking out and driving tractors in the fields. They made me see what actually goes on and they trusted me as well."

William said he had always wanted to help out at the Highgrove Home Farm in the summer holidays but had not yet got round to it. "The early mornings are putting me off," he said, laughing, perhaps recognizing his reputation for sleeping late. The Prince said he liked to enjoy the countryside on long walks which gave him the opportunity to unwind. "I love going for walks," he said. "My father is a great walker - he does a lot of it. But it's quite nice because you can just go off and ponder. You can think about things. It's your own time."

He particularly liked to walk in the Scottish Highlands, on the Queen's Balmoral estate, and on the broad, sandy beach at St Andrews, his university town north of the border. A concerned Prince of Wales worries about William's safety as he indulges a passion for speed and fast motorbikes. But the 21-year-old Prince shrugs off the danger and lives life to the full.

"Riding a motorbike can be dangerous but so can lots of things really, admittedly there are more risks involved in riding a motorbike than there are with other things. It is a risk but as long as you've had sufficient and thorough training, you should be okay. You've just got to be aware of what you're doing." However, William conceded: "My father is concerned about the fact that I'm into motorbikes but he doesn't want to keep me all wrapped up in cotton wool. "So you might as well live if you're going to live. It's just something I'm passionate about."

Enthusiastically, William disclosed that he has a Yamaha 600 trials bike. "It's an on-off road bike, so you can do either," he said. If he was hoping for a new motorbike for his 21st birthday, he was not letting on. But it is perhaps unlikely to be something his concerned father would buy. "There's nothing specifically I would like – I'll just have to wait and see what's given to me, I've dropped many hints to my father about pretty much everything. I think I've gone round in circles about what I want and he's given up on me. He'll do the paternal thing and decide what he thinks is best – I'm sure he'll give me something lovely."

William also has a car – a secondhand VW Golf – but is less passionate about driving and is content with the model he has. "Everyone, I'm sure, hopes some day they'll get a new car but I'm very lucky with the car I've got at the moment. It's fast enough and it's very comfortable," he said. I've got a good stereo in it. Not one of those mega super woofers or what ever they're called – there's quite a lot of them around," William said laughing. I imagine my father would go absolutely bananas if he saw me driving, blaring music out of the windows. I prefer my motorbike. I don't know what it is about bikes, but I've always had a passion for motorbikes ever since I was very small. I used to do a lot of go-karting when I was younger and then after that I went on to quadbikes and eventually motorbikes."

William rides his motorbike mainly at Highgrove and around the country roads of Gloucestershire. "It does help being anonymous with my motorcycle helmet on because it does enable me to relax," he said. "But I just enjoy everything about motorbikes and the camaraderie that comes with it."

William will do his duty and be King. That is the clear message which, as he comes of age, William wants to send. He unequivocally denied rumours that he would not accede to the throne after his father, the Prince of Wales, and take his place in the line of succession. Straightening his back, William answered the question: Do you want to be King?

"All these questions about do you want to be King? It's not a question of wanting to be, it's something I was born into and it's my duty, wanting is not the right word. But those stories about me not wanting to be King are all wrong. It's a very important role and it's one that I don't take lightly. It's all about helping people and dedication and loyalty which I hope I have – I know I have. Sometimes I do get anxious about it but I don't really worry a lot. I want to get through university and then maybe start thinking seriously about that in the future. I don't really ever talk about it publicly. It's not something you talk about with whoever. I think about it a lot but they are my own personal thoughts. I'll take each step as it comes and deal with it as best I can."

William said he sometimes felt part of history, especially when he was with the rest of the Royal Family. "I'm sure a lot of people would love to get me doing royal engagements already, But I will wait until the end of my education before I even think about doing solo engagements. I will obviously do the odd one or two with my father, like I did in Wales before my birthday. But I just think, for the moment, I should concentrate on university – it's quite hard enough as it is."

William praised the Queen and said, as he faces up to one day being King, she is his inspiration.

"I think particularly nowadays the monarchy plays a very important role. You only have to look at my grandmother and see the amazing things she's done, That to me is a huge inspiration – the work she's done and the work my father's done and a lot of the family. The monarchy is something that needs to be there – I just feel it's very, very important - it's a form of stability and I hope to be able to continue that."

William said it was difficult to look far into the future and predict changes in the monarchy.

"Modernisation is quite a strong word to use with the monarchy because it's something that's been around for many hundreds of years," he said. But I think it's important that people feel the monarchy can keep up with them and is relevant to their lives. We are all human and inevitably mistakes are made. But in the end there is a great sense of loyalty and dedication among the family and it rubs off on me. Ever since I was very small, it's something that's been very much impressed on me, in a good way. People say it's not ambitious, but it is actually quite ambitious wanting to help people. Trying to keep that going is quite tricky and it's something that, without the whole family, is harder for just one person to do. It would be dangerous to look a long way ahead and predict changes in the monarchy. I think my grandmother is incredibly good at managing the different aspects of being sovereign and putting across the monarchy. She is able to really promote the monarchy without getting too involved in things that she almost definitely has a view on, an opinion of her own. But, frankly, she does what she feels is right and I think that's very impressive."

Along with his father, the Queen was a role model for William.

"I think of the Queen first and foremost as my grandmother and to me that's important, she's a huge role model for me – she's incredible – and in the family she's one of the biggest role models I have, along with my father. My grandmother has achieved so much in her lifetime and she's just so experienced. For me she symbolises the monarchy. She's been put in some really difficult positions and yet she handles it very well. What she's done for this country is amazing."

William does not have a steady girlfriend. But if the right girl comes along, he is ready to make his move. However, the 21-year-old Prince, who is among the most eligible bachelors in the world, realises the media scrutiny his girlfriend would be subjected to and is protective towards any potential date.

"There's been a lot of speculation about every single girl I'm with and it actually does quite irritate me after a while, more so because it's a complete pain for the girls, these poor girls, you know, who I've either just met and get photographed with, or they're friends of mine, suddenly get thrown into the limelight and their parents get rung up and so on. I think it's a little unfair on them really. I'm used to it because it happens quite a lot now. But it's very difficult for them and I don't like that at all."

William would not be drawn on media speculation about specific girls in his life.

But he said: "I don't have a steady girlfriend."

Not that he is uninterested in romanace with the right girl.

"If I fancy a girl and I really like her and she fancies me back, which is rare, I ask her out, But, at the same time, I don't want to put them in an awkward situation because a lot of people don't quite understand what comes with knowing me, for one, and secondly, if they were my girlfriend, the excitement it would probably cause."

William, who is modest about his appeal, joked: "Only the mad girls chase me, I think. No, I've never been aware of anyone chasing me but if there were, could they please leave their telephone number," he said, laughing.

It was his trademark gesture which infuriated photographers and earned him the reputation of being shy. But William protested that he was never shy – just naive about how to avoid being photographed.

"I was never shy," he said. "But, it's very funny. I was called shy because I put my head down so much when I was in public. It was never because I was shy. It was a really naive thing that I hadn't picked up on. I know it's silly and that everyone will laugh at it. But I thought that, when I was in public, if I kept my head down, then I wouldn't be photographed so much. Therefore, I thought, people wouldn't know what I looked like so I could go about doing my own thing which, of course, frankly was never going to work. It was so that people wouldn't recognise me and I could still go out with friends and things like that. So they just saw the top of my head. But usually I was photographed with my eyes looking up through a big blond fringe. It was very silly. I wouldn't say I prefer to be unnoticed because that's never going to happen. But I'm someone who doesn't particularly like being the centre of attention."

As he turns 21, William appealed to the media to continue to allow him privacy at university. He thanked the media for giving him space to be himself and complete his formal education while he was at Eton and now at St Andrews University in Scotland.

"They have been really good about the whole thing and I'm sure they've been very frustrated at the same time, I just feel it's better for both sides, St James's Palace and the media, that it happens this way. I don't think either side wants to return to the free-for-all of the old days. It's a really fine balance and it could be quite volatile if things get out of hand, so I don't want to go back to that – I've seen it and I don't like it – and I hope that it all works out the way it is."

Since the death of their mother, Diana, Princess Of Wales, the media have agreed to leave William and his younger brother, Harry, alone to complete their education In return, William and Harry have been willing to give interviews and photo calls at significant points in their lives. For someone, who when he was younger, was thought to dislike media attention, at 21 William is determined to act like an adult.

"The media can be tricky at times but so can most people, But it's something that I want to handle with the most maturity I can. So it is difficult but it's not impossible. The way it's been handled so far, particularly to do with me, has been amazing from both sides, St James's Palace and the media. I just really hope that continues because I've had such a good time in my first two years at St Andrews and I would be absolutely gutted if that disappeared."

As for his portrayal in the media, William said he just wanted to be seen as himself.

"My own portrayal has been something that I hope people take with a pinch of salt sometimes, I don't want to be anything I'm not and I don't want to come across as being super-human or an idiot. I just want to come across as me – and I hope that's what will happen."

He was born His Royal Highness Prince William of Wales but at 21 still wants to be known as just William.

"This has been quite a confusing issue for a lot of people I think, I am and always will be an HRH. But out of personal choice I like to be called William because that is my name and I want people to call me William – for now. I was HRH Prince William as soon as I was born. But I don't want all the formalities because they're not needed for the time being."

William has his own coat of arms, which was granted to him by the Queen on his 18th birthday, but he has not used it yet.

Interview at St. Andrews - 5.30.03

Prince William has just completed his end of second-year exams, after weeks of studying, and is looking forward to some time to relax over the summer. He talks of his fondness for St.Andrews, where he has had the freedom to be himself and enjoy student life.

“People here just treat me like everyone else – it’s really nice,” he said. “I’m able to live a near-normal life because of a combination of reasons really. The media have been very good considering, I’m sure how tantalising it is having me up here, and the people of St.Andrews and the students themselves have been very supportive. So, basically, I feel very comfortable.”

How did the university dons treat him when he started?

“Once they stopped trying to spy me at lectures, then it was all very relaxed,” he joked.

“My tutors and lecturers have been very considerate and have just let me get on. They know I’ll come to them it I’ve got any problems. I try to attend as many lectures as I can but inevitably there are certain times when I never make them, for lots of reasons, but I go to all my tutorials.”

William has the reputation of being a little bit lazy in the mornings and his father, The Prince of Wales, teases him about it.

“My father thinks I’m the laziest person on earth,” he said. “But surprisingly I do actually get up. I’ve had 9 o’clock lectures all this year.”

William finds that people don’t take too much notice of him:

“It’s quite interesting because when I’m walking around, you see people chatting and so on in their own little worlds – and I go into my own little world as well – and you don’t really notice what’s going on around you.

“But the local residents, I’m sure, know what I do. They know the routes I take. Yet, very kindly, they just get on with their lives, their shopping and things like that.”

Prince William says that the tourists visiting historic St.Andrews are more interested:

“I think it’s probably a little harder for tourists and foreigners who come up here to try to pretend, as it were, that they haven’t seen me. That’s a little tricky sometimes, but everyone else is very relaxed.

“I hope I’m not a tourist attraction – I’m sure that they come here really because St.Andrews is just amazing, a beautiful place.”

William’s choice of university – Scotland’s oldest seat of learning dating back to 1413, has so far lived up to his expectations.

“I was very nervous about what was going to happen as I had heard lots of stories,” he said. “The exams are the tricky bit but once they’re out of the way, the rest is a lot of fun. There’s an immense amount of reading and lectures take up quite a lot of your time, but I love being at St.Andrews.”

William now feels very happy in Scotland:

“It’s basically everything that I imagined when I first came up here. I went to look at Edinburgh first of all and I was torn between there and St.Andrews. For me though, St.Andrews had a community feel and the people here are brilliant.”

Things were more difficult at first for William, who revealed he considered doing something else after the first year:

“I think the rumours that I was unhappy got slightly out of control,” he said. “But I was like most people, I think, when you first come to university. It’s new surroundings, new scenery, and I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. It’s the same as starting school really and I was uneasy.

“But I went home and talked to my father during the holidays and throughout that time debated about whether to come back – not seriously, seriously debating it but it did cross my mind.

“My father was very understanding about it and realised I had to the same problems that he probably had. He was very good about it and we chatted a lot and in the end we both realised – I definitely realised - that I had to come back.

“I think it was the new surroundings. When I was with Raleigh International during my gap year, it was the same sort of thing. You’re thrown into completely new territory.

“You have to start fending for yourself quite considerably and you desperately want to settle in and meet everyone, but at the same time, you have lots of reservations.”

Was it harder to settle because he was well known?

“It certainly felt like that. But people relaxed very quickly about it and the students have been so good towards me. They let me get on with things to start with and realised that no one could settle in just like that. So they gave me a bit of space and it’s worked – and I hope for them as well. It’s been brilliant.

“I don’t think I was homesick, I was more daunted,” he said.

William joked about how his calm exterior hid his nerves underneath: “Little do you know!” Now that he is halfway through the course, he speaks highly of university education:

“I would recommend university education as long as you decide to work. You have a lot of time to yourself and you have to keep busy. It’s very different from school, but the last two years have gone by so quickly.

“Living in a hall of residence for the first year was a good move. That’s where I met most of my friends. Immediately you’re all put together – a whole load of people in similar positions – and it was a lot of fun.

“I think if you had gone into a house straight away with people you didn’t really know you would have been isolated.”

William spent his first year at St. Andrews living in St. Salvators Hall, known by the students as “Sally’s”, where he enjoyed a good view of the dramatic coastline from his bedroom window.

“I really think it was the best option. I enjoyed it, it really takes a lot of your mind,” he said.

William is looking forward to moving house next academic year to a more rural setting close, although still in the town:

“Most people tend to move houses and that was always my intention. In my third year I have fewer lectures and have to spend less time in the university and so I thought ‘how about moving somewhere different?’

“I do think I am a country boy at heart. I love the buzz of towns and going out with friends and sitting with them drinking and whatever – it’s fun – but, at the same time, I like space and freedom.

“I like cinemas, bars, restaurants and lots of sport on the beach, playing quick golf; just making use of everything up here.”

William has a car at St.Andrews and sometimes drives into Edinburgh for a change of nightlife. He likes to socialise and has many friends:

“There are so many people here from different backgrounds – my friends are made up of all sorts of different people. I’ve got Scottish friends, American friends, and English friends.

“I don’t deliberately select my friends because of their background. If I enjoy someone’s company, then that’s all that counts. I have many different friends who aren’t from the same background as me and we get on really well – it’s brilliant.”

William is aware of issues such as student loans and university fees but doesn’t take an active role in student politics:

“I do listen to what goes on and I know there are sensitive issues. There are some students who have just cause to be worried about loans and fees, but most students here, as far as I know, don’t get involved.

Although Scottish students and some students from European Union countries do not have to pay fees at Scottish universities, English students do, and The Prince of Wales is paying full fees for William.

With regard to what the future holds, William is still unsure:

“I haven’t really thought that much about that. I’m really just concentrating on getting through the next two years. I honestly haven’t thought about what I am going to do next.”

William appreciates that the media have helped his university life be more enjoyable:

“The media have been particularly good up here and I hope that continues. It’s probably because of the media’s considerate attitude that I’ve been able to have such a good time.”

Although, he worries a little about what will happen after university:

“I’m slightly concerned that when I leave here the media could have a tendency to look into what I’ve done. I’m just hoping that they won’t go round trying to do that. If they do, I think the people of St.Andrews will be my greatest allies.”

In the meantime, William is enjoying the more basic style of his student life:

“I do a lot of shopping – I enjoy the shopping, actually. I get very carried away, you know, just food shopping. I buy lots of things and then go back to the house and the see the fridge is full of all the stuff I just bought,” he said.

William enjoys making dinner at home for his housemates:

“I cook quite regularly for them and they cook for me; although we haven’t had a house supper for quite a while because everyone’s been doing exams and working quite hard. I’ve got some very good cooks in my house but I’m absolutely useless, as my paella experience, which was filmed at Eton a while ago proved.”

Whilst at Eton, William took cookery classes and was filmed on TV preparing the Spanish dish. His student menu is more simple:

“We have chicken, curries and pasta, but we go out to eat quite a lot, whatever we feel like at the time.”

Household chores are shared between the housemates:

“We all get on very well and start off having rotas, but, of course, it just broke down into complete chaos. Everyone helps out when they can. I try to help out when I can and they do the same for me, but usually you just fend for yourself,” he said.

William is looking forward to some fun after all the hard studying:

“Everybody thinks I drink beer but I actually like cider!”

At the moment William is studying History of Art, but he is unsure as to whether he may switch courses to Geography for his final two years:

“It slightly depends on my exam results,” he said. “History of Art and Geography are my two choices and I honestly haven’t decided yet. I’m torn between the two, but I have to decide soon.

“In my first two years I’ve done quite a range of modules. I’ve done social anthropology and moral philosophy as well as art history and geography, but now I have to specialise.”

William also tried a course in Middle Eastern Studies but had to drop it due to his heavy work load. However, he has a strong interest in other cultures:

“I’m trying to teach myself Swahili which is something that has proved harder than I thought. It’s because of my love of Africa. It’s an odd language to learn but I wanted to do something that was very specialised.

“I love the people of Africa and I’d like to more about them – and to speak to them. I’ve got a book and a book-tape. Like I say, I’m teaching myself and they’re collecting dust quite rapidly but I am trying to make progress.”

When William is not studying, his great passion is sport. He has been voted water-polo captain at St.Andrews and was a runner-up in the Scottish cup:

“I play lots of water-polo – I love my water-polo,” he said. “I’m not doing enough exercise, I’m still pretty unfit, but I like swimming – I love my water-sports. I’m trying to play a little more rugby. I played in a Sevens tournament a little while ago. I play some football – I play Sunday league up here.”

William has gone off playing hockey recently:

“I gave up playing hockey when a friend of mine had his teeth knocked out – put me off a bit!

“I do swim in the sea but that really doesn’t last very long. It’s usually in and out, and I make a big fuss and shout how cold it is and then don’t do it again for a while,” he laughed.

“There’s a very good water polo team here. The girl’s team are particularly good and won the Scottish Cup last year. We got to the finals of the Scottish cup this year, although we didn’t manage to win, so we were runners up. But I was elected to be captain of the water-polo team next year,” he said.

When William is relaxing at home he enjoys his personal space:

“I’m not particularly fussy about my room, I just want it to be somewhere I can relax – my own space. But I do have drapes up in my room. I like that because it makes it more cosy. I’ve got to have a stereo – got to have music – I love my music.” William’s friends say he loves R&B and plays it very loud. “There’s the odd book too, just to make it look like I’m working - and a comfortable bed,” he joked.

As a student of art history, William praised his father’s talent as a painter:

“He’s brilliant. He’s very modest about it and he’s always criticizing his own work, but I do actually really like it. His subject matter is particularly sensitive – he paints mostly landscapes – and his paintings make a lot of money for charity.”

Prints of The Prince’s watercolours are on sale worldwide for his charitable trusts, and the originals are exhibited.

“Harry can paint but I can’t,” explained William. “He has our father’s talent while I, on the other hand, am about the biggest idiot on a piece of canvas. I did do a couple of drawings at Eton which were put on display. Teachers thought they were examples of modern art, but in fact, I was just trying to paint a house!

“I like traditional art. I love the Renaissance. It’s fascinating because it’s just so detailed and precise. More modern people – Picasso and his Blue Period, I do like that. He was revolutionary,” he said.

William says he feels privileged to have seen the Royal Collection, an art collection which is held in trust for the nation by Her Majesty The Queen, and adorns the walls of the royal residences.

“I did do my A-level history of art dissertation on Leonardo da Vinci’s drawings, which, of course, are in the Royal Collection, so I was very lucky,” he said.

William is looking forward to his two final years in Scotland, although he says he has only ever worn a kilt in private but has not ruled out going public:

“I haven’t got into it yet – it’s a bit draughty,” he laughed. “I have worn a kilt in private and I’m not saying I never will wear one in public.”

The Prince of Wales often wears the Lord of the Isles tartan when in the Highlands.

“You can learn to play the bagpipes at Eton but I never really tried that either. But I love Scottish dancing – it’s great. I’m hopeless at it but I do enjoy it. I usually make a complete muck-up of the Dashing White Sergeant, I do throw my arms dangerously about and girls fly across the dance floor,” he laughed.

“Scottish culture is very diverse and definitely very different. My great-grandmother, The Queen Mother, was passionate about Scotland – about Birkhall and about the Castle of Mey.”

September 22, 2001 Interview

Prince William gave his most revealing interview ever yesterday as he spoke about his hopes, his fears and his dreams of life at St Andrews.

Speaking at Holyrood Palace, the student prince, who moves into his new university digs today, revealed:

On Freshers' Week: "It would have been a media frenzy if I had been there and that's not fair on the other new students."

On drinking: "I would probably have ended up in the gutter completely wrecked and the people I had met that week wouldn't end up being my friends any way."

On the media: "Hopefully, they have got enough from what I've been doing this weekend. The way they treated me in my gap year was great and, if that could continue, everyone would be happy, especially me."

On relationships: "I want to be an ordinary student. I mean, I'm only going to university. It's not like I'm getting married - though that's what it feels like sometimes."

On phoney friends: "People try to take advantage of me and get a piece of me, but I spot it quickly and soon go off them."

On Scotland: "I love it. I love the hills and the mountains and I thought St Andrews had a real community feel to it."

On his football team: "I will support a team after a while but, for the time being, I'm just concentrating on Aston Villa."

The prince, who will live in halls of residence with other first year students, said he was desperate to make new friends.

He explained: "I know a couple of people at St Andrews who are older and a couple in my year but most of my friends are at other universities. So once I have made friends, I would like to spend my weekends with them."

He says he may head for Edinburgh at weekends since he has heard St Andrews is "not particularly vibrant then".

William's arrival at university today, to begin the first term of his four-year history of art degree course tomorrow, brings an end to an adventure-filled gap year that he wishes he could do all over again.

Yet amazingly, the part he enjoyed the most was not the trip to beautiful Mauritius, in the Indian Ocean, or the safari in Africa, or trekking with the Army in Belize, or working with communities as a Raleigh International volunteer in Chile.

It was, he claims, his short stint working as a farm labourer in England.

Paid only the minimum wage of pounds 3.20 an hour, rising before dawn to milk cows and performing mucky jobs, William, 19, rated his month on a dairy farm above any of the exotic experiences he enjoyed abroad.

"I loved my gap year and wish I could have another one," he said.

"But the best bit was in England. I loved working on a farm, before foot-and-mouth, which is partly why I've got so much sympathy for the farmers who have suffered so much from it.

"It was the best part of my year. I enjoyed the fact that I was put in as a hand and was paid and was just another guy on the farm.

"I got my hands dirty, did all the chores and had to get up at 4am. I got to see a completely different lifestyle."

William worked on the farm in the spring, in between returning from Chile at Christmas and jetting off to Africa, where he spent three-and-a-half months.

"I loved Africa and learned a lot from it. I met some really decent people," he said.

It was his last trip before returning home in June to prepare for starting at St Andrews.

On Friday, William made a pre-uni debut in Scotland on a series of engagements with his father, Prince Charles.

Against a rugged backdrop of Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh, William said: "I really enjoyed it. They are welcoming people, the Scots, and I met some great people."

St Andrews has been preparing for Wills' arrival for months, and the "William effect" has had a profound impact on the university.

Applications from would-be students in the UK flew up by 44 per cent and from overseas by 100 per cent after the news of his decision.

But William played down the increases and said he was neither horrified nor delighted by reports of over-eager female students already having ordered their wedding dresses in readiness for his arrival.

"I suppose they're saying that tongue-in-cheek," he said. "But people who try to take advantage of me and get a piece of me - I spot it quickly and soon go off them."

The prince believes he will always have to be on his guard but insists it will not stop him enjoying his university life to the full.

"I just want to go to university and have fun," he said. "I want to be an ordinary student. I mean, I'm only going to university. It's not like I'm getting married - though that's what it feels like sometimes."

But William, who is living at a university hall of residence where his meals are provided, is hopeful that the attention from fellow students will gradually drop away. He said: "It will get easier as time goes on. Everyone will get bored of me - which they do."

The prince revealed that he chose the university first, and his course second. He particularly wanted to study in Scotland, and applied to St Andrews, its oldest university, after falling in love with the windswept town.

William said: "The reason I didn't want to go to an English university is because I have lived there and wanted to get away and try somewhere else. I also knew I would be seeing a lot of Wales in the future.

"And I do love Scotland. There is plenty of space, I love the mountains and I thought St Andrews had a real community feel to it."

William said the town's proximity to the sea was another factor. "I've never lived near the sea, so it will be very different," he said. It also helped that St Andrews had a highly respected course in history of art, in which William attained a B grade at A level.

But observers might wonder if William was already having doubts about his choice of degree. Although he has no firm plans about a future career, art history doesn't seem to be his chosen vocation.

"I'm much more interested in doing something with the environment, but I'm not sure what yet," he said.

However, there will be plenty of time for him to decide. The structure of his four-year course is such that he does not specialise in his degree subject until the third year, and can change it if he wishes.

In the meantime, William takes a range of courses alongside his art history modules, and he said he intends to pick options with an environmental slant. One is geography, in which he scored an A grade at A level.

But he has already missed Freshers' Week, that fabled introduction to university life in which first-year students forge their first bonds.

Prince William believes he was right to skip the week, a decision St James's Palace says was entirely his own.

"It would have been a media frenzy and that's not fair on the other new students," he said. "Plus, I thought I would probably end up in a gutter completely wrecked, and the people I had met that week wouldn't end up being my friends any way. It also meant I could have another week's holiday."

Nonetheless, like all new students, William faces the challenge of finding friends. He is in an environment unlike any he has been in before and where six in 10 of the university's 6500 students are from state schools.

But William insists he will not be closeting himself within a small circle of friends. Nor will he make any distinction on the "type" of student he thinks he will hang around with.

"It's not as if I choose my friends on the basis of where they are from or what they are," he said. "It's about their character and who they are and whether we get on. I just hope I can meet people I get on with. I don't care about their backgrounds."

But students can be a radical lot. Has he considered that he might come across some anti-monarchists?

"Someone can hold a view about something without it making a difference to who they are," he said. "Everyone has opinions and they are entitled to them. I can still get on with them, even if I don't agree with what they might believe."

For any young person, getting away from home and taking more control of their life is one of the chief attractions of university, and William is no different.

He said: "Having more independence is quite a big thing, although I've always got policemen around, so I'm never completely independent. But I'm particularly looking forward to being able to manage my own time in a relaxed atmosphere."

William said he would not be disappearing home every weekend, although he would miss Highgrove. "It's going to be difficult to get back home. Even if I had the time, and I probably won't, it's seven-and-a-half hours by car and three-and-a-half by plane. I'll be a long way from friends at home.

"I know a couple of guys at St Andrews who are older, and a couple in my year, but most of my friends are at other universities.

"So, once I have made new friends, I would like to spend my weekends with them."

But not necessarily in St Andrews itself. Although the town has 22 pubs - more per square mile than any other university town in Britain - its nightlife seems confined to a couple of discos and whatever happens to be on offer at the Students' Association.

"Weekends at St Andrews, I've been told, are not particularly vibrant," said William.

Instead, he will drive to Edinburgh, an hour away by car, for big nights out. He said: "I'm not a party animal, despite what people might think, but I like to go out sometimes, like anyone else."

Some time at weekends might be taken up by following a local football team, but William's mind is not yet made up which he will support.

"I will support a team after a while but for the time being I'm just concentrating on Aston Villa," said William, a long-time Villa fan.

Football is not the only topic on which he is playing his cards close to his chest.

It will come as a disappointment to many of the university's clubs and societies to learn that the prince has made a policy decision not to join any of them, at least to begin with.

Societies devoted to drama, debating and environmental campaigning would doubtless regard his membership as a coup, as would surely the infamous Kate Kennedy club, a male-only group founded in 1926, which organises balls and refuses to involve women.

"I'm going to keep my options open until I'm settled," he said.

He does, however, "very much doubt" he'll be joining the Kate Kennedy club.

Nonetheless, William does intend to involve himself in sports teams at university and is particularly keen to continue swimming and water polo, two of his favourite pursuits at Eton College.

He said he hoped the media would treat him at St Andrews with the same restraint as when he attended Eton. He said: "Hopefully, they have got enough from what I've been doing this weekend. The way the media treated me in my gap year was great and if that could continue, everyone would be happy, especially me.

"If it does get too intrusive, I will feel really uncomfortable. It would take a lot to really irritate me, but if other people are getting fed up with the fact that I'm causing them to be hassled and are stopping talking to me, I'll have to think about it all again."

In the past, William has told friends he will quit St Andrews if he and his fellow students find themselves under too much scrutiny. But he fell short of declaring such a dramatic step when asked what he would do if the pressure got too much.

He said: "We'd have to do more talking. Maybe there would be something I could do differently to ease it. I just hope it doesn't get that far."

It remains to be seen how much attention Wills receives and how he will deal with it.

But as he settles into St Andrews today, he knows one thing, if nothing else - that he is about to have another adventure and he intends to enjoy it.

June 2000 Interview for his eighteenth birthday

Question: What will you be doing on your birthday and do you have an exam on the day?

Answer: I don’t have an exam on the day but I will be studying for my History of Art exam the next day.

Q: When will you finish your exams?

A: A few days after my birthday.

Q: When and how will you be able to celebrate your birthday?

A: I haven’t really thought about it but no doubt I will celebrate privately with some friends.

Q: Have you enjoyed Eton and what will you miss most when you leave?

A: Yes, very much. I’ll miss my friends and Dr. Gailey (Housemaster) who has been a tremendous support to me. And I’ve really enjoyed being able to go about Eton as just another student without the media attention.

Q: Do you still like the uniform? What is different about the “Pop’s” uniform? And have you enjoyed being in Pop?

A: I’ve enjoyed being in Pop, which is a school prefect. I’ve always liked the uniform, particularly the Pop uniform which allows you to wear your own waistcoats and the stick-ups (stiff wing collar) and tie.

Q: Will you have a gap year and, if so, how will you spend it?

A: Yes, I will be having a gap year but at the moment I prefer to keep the details private until all the arrangements have been settled.

Q: Which university do you want to go to?

A: Until I know my results, I’m unsure. I know there’s been an awful lot of speculation but you’ll have to wait.

Q: What will you study at university?

A: I plan to study the History of Art.

Q: Would you like to go abroad to study?

A: I can honestly say I haven’t thought about it. It hadn’t yet crossed my mind.

Q: Which sports do you enjoy the most?

A: I enjoy water polo, football and rugby — mostly team sports.

Q: What do you do in your spare time?

A: I enjoy being with my friends, going to the cinema and watching football and rugby matches.

Q: Do you enjoy reading and, if so, who are your favourite authors?

A: Yes, when I get the time. I enjoy a wide range of books but I don’t have any particular favourite authors.

Q: What sort of music do you like?

A: Much the same as I did a couple of years ago — dance and pop.

Q: Do you enjoy clubbing and dancing?

A: I enjoy dancing but don’t go clubbing that often.

Q: How often do you manage to get to the cinema and what films do you like?

A: I go to the local cinema when there is a good film showing. I prefer action films.

Q: Do you still shop for your own clothes and what style do you prefer?

A: Yes; I much prefer casual wear.

Q: How difficult is it to cope with public and media attention?

A: I don’t like the attention. I feel uncomfortable with it. But I have particularly appreciated being left alone at Eton which has allowed me to concentrate on my school work and enjoy being with my friends without being followed by cameras. I am grateful to the media for helping to protect my privacy and I hope I can enjoy the same freedom at university.

Q: How do you cope with the attention of girls?

A: In my own way. Trying to explain might be counter-productive!

Q: How do you feel about being linked with showbusiness personalities like Britney Spears?

A: There’s been a lot of nonsense put about by PR companies. I don’t like being exploited in this way but as I get older it’s increasingly hard to prevent.

Q: Do you think you might join one of the services after university and, if so, do you have a preference?

A: It’s too early to say. I haven’t really thought about it.

Q: Have you thought of any other profession?

A: At this stage I just want to get through university. I know there’s been a lot of speculation but the truth is I haven’t made up my mind yet.

Q: When will you begin solo Royal duties?

A: My father wants me to finish full-time education before doing Royal duties and so do I. It will be a few years before I do Royal engagements although I expect, as in the past, I will sometimes accompany my father.

Q: Are you looking forward to it?

A: I don’t know because it’s a long way off yet. I haven’t really thought about it.

Q: How often do you manage to see members of your family?

A: As often as I can, especially my cousins.

Q: What do you enjoy most about driving your car?

A: Like anyone my age, it gives me some independence.

Q: Do you have a horse of your own?

A: No, but I ride my father’s.

Q: How is your dog Widgeon, and do you have any other pets?

A: Widgeon had eight pups about 18 months ago. I have no other pets.

Q: Now you’re 18, will you have your own staff to look after your diary and correspondence?

A: No, I don’t need them. My father’s office looks after my mail and diary and that will carry on as before.

Q: Do you have a girlfriend?

A: I like to keep my private life private.

Q: Why did you agree to be photographed at Eton for your 18th birthday?

A: The media have left me alone while I have been at Eton, for which I am grateful. But I knew there would be a lot of media interest in my 18th and I didn’t want a whole host of media involved. Neither did I want any distractions as I was revising for my A-levels. So I agreed to allow one photographer and a TV cameraman to spend a little time with me at Eton.

June 1998 Interview for his sixteenth birthday >>
* Unlike the June 2000 interview, the following are not Prince William's word-for-word answers.

Likes: Eton College, Eton's uniform (tailcoats and striped trousers) writing letters, phoning family and friends, action films at the cinema

Dislikes: being a pin-up and dealing with female teenage adulation

Favorite sports: rugby, football (soccer), swimming, water polo, tennis

Favorite reading: action-adventure fiction and non-fiction

Favorite clothes: modern style and can shop for himself

Favorite music: techno (dance) and some classical

Favorite band: couldn't possibly comment

Least favorite band: ditto

Best friends at Eton: ditto

Favorite food: simple dishes and junk food

Ambition: to go on safari in Africa, as Harry did last year

Regret: enjoying computer games, but not having a computer of his own

Pets: Widgeon, a female black Lab, likes horses

Preferred university: pass

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