...for August 2001

August 29, 2001 -

• Dawn French has finished top in a phone survey to determine Britain's favourite teatime companion. She beat the likes of Jennifer Aniston, Cameron Diaz and Russell Crowe to top the survey run by Crackerbread. The top-five companions are Dawn French, Nelson Mandela, Tony Blair, Charlie Dimmock and Robbie Williams. More than 1,000 Britons were asked for their choices and generally confirmed their predilection for a less-than-serious teatime rendezvous. Cooks Jamie Oliver and Nigella Lawson fared poorly with only fractional votes. Prince William joined Jennifer Aniston, Cherie Blair, William Hague and Russell Crowe as the British public's worst teatime companions.

August 27, 2001 -

• Staff at St Andrews University, where Prince William begins his studies next month, are to receive bomb identification classes following two scares over suspicious packages. Every employee of the Fife university - from janitors to professors - will have to attend lessons in how to recognise suspect packages and what to do with them. Last week, firefighters wearing protective suits were called to the university to inspect a package which contained a note saying it was infected with anthrax germs. It is thought the Scottish National Liberation Army (SNLA) were behind the parcel, which turned out to contain curry powder. Two weeks earlier, newspaper reports claimed a package had been sent by the SNLA although this has been vehemently denied by police. Senior staff have taken the threats seriously and have told staff they will be given classes which will cover "general security issues, including bomb threat procedures". The memo was sent to all employees, including janitors, cleaning staff, lecturers and office workers. Sessions will last for one hour after which workers will be given a test. A spokesman for St Andrews University refused to comment on the classes. He said: "We never comment on security issues." They come in the wake of last Monday’s bomb scare which was sparked by the delivery of a suspicious package to the university’s press office in the town centre, directly across from where Prince William will study. Fife Police have been unwilling to reveal details of last week’s incident, except to confirm that "a suspicious package was received by university staff." Although insiders say the package contained nothing more than curry powder, a member of staff commented: "Nobody is laughing, even if it was curry powder. It is all very alarming."
  
  
• Although there has been no official confirmation, it appears there will be pictures available of William's first day of university. St Andrew's begins classes in about a months time. There is also no word on whether he will be lving in a dorm or in a private residence.

August 22, 2001 -

• Last week Britain’s Prince William found his life the subject of intense media speculation once more with the publication of a new and much-disputed book, “Diana’s Boys: William and Harry and the Mother They Loved.” Among other things, the book portrays the young prince as a “one-man wrecking crew” among the girls. “Is Playboy Prince a Sex Machine?” screamed the tabloids, recalling for some early stories about his uncle Prince Andrew and — difficult as it may be to believe now — his own father. Even the news that Diana’s butler had been arrested for theft, and that Queen Elizabeth is reported to be warming to the idea of a marriage between Prince Charles and his sweetheart, Camilla Parker Bowles, couldn’t compete with new and juicy gossip about William and his 16-year-old brother, Harry. Author Christopher Andersen names William’s closest girlfriends as glamorous English aristocrats Davina Duckworth-Chad and Emilia “Milly” d’Erlanger, and claims the prince has at the same time been enjoying a “steamy” e-mail correspondence with model Lauren Bush, niece of President Bush (Lauren denied this to the Washington Post’s Reliable Source in May). On top of that, Andersen claims there was plenty of “bed-hopping” in William’s year off before college, when he visited Chile on behalf of the charity Raleigh International. Spokesmen for the royal family reacted quickly to the claims, dismissing them as “utterly contemptible” and “ludicrous allegations.” Andersen himself says the newspapers have blown it all out of proportion, and says he sees his book as a “tribute” to the boys and their mother. So, fact or fantasy? The one thing we can be sure about is that since his mother’s death four years ago, His Royal Highness Prince William Arthur Philip Louis — or “Will Wales,” as he has chosen to be known until he completes his education — has tried to tell us as little as possible about his life.The British media have abided by a gentleman’s agreement to stay away from William and Harry while they finish their schooling, although there has never been any such pact on this side of the Atlantic. But now that William is due to start undergraduate studies at St Andrews University in Scotland, the protection from the media he has enjoyed so far may dissipate. Andersen’s book, published in New York by William Morrow, is not for sale in the United Kingdom, but quotes from it — and the palace reaction — have been published by media in Britain and elsewhere. “There is an enormous fascination with William and Harry in America,” said royal historian and biographer Robert Lacey. “It’s thought of as on a parallel with John F. Kennedy Jr., but in fact it’s even more than that. It’s as if Marilyn Monroe had had children.” Scoop: Has the prince found his princess? Interest in the young man whom unauthorized royal biographer Kitty Kelley has dubbed “half movie star, half rock star and . . . probably the saving grace of the monarchy” is currently at fever pitch. When it was announced that he was going to St Andrews, applications for admission to the school rose by 44 percent — 90 percent of the increase accounted for by young women. It was Diana herself who dubbed her son “DDG” — “Drop Dead Gorgeous.”At the age of 9, William was passing tissues under the bathroom door to soothe his sobbing mother. William and Harry, Diana once said, “are my one splendid achievement.” The poignant sight of the two princes bravely walking behind their mother’s coffin at her funeral moved many. There were fears about what would happen to these two vulnerable youngsters, who had lived most of their lives in the all-out verbal warfare that was their parents’ failed marriage. At the age of 9, William was passing tissues under the bathroom door to soothe his sobbing mother; when Harry was 9, his father went on national television to discuss his infidelity with longtime mistress Parker Bowles, whom Diana privately called “the Rottweiler.” Diana was revealed as a bulimic self-harmer who had had affairs herself; Charles coldly shut himself away from his wife’s grief. Royal-watchers speculated that it would be a surprise if the boys turned out even halfway normal, coming from a family that one journalist called “the maddest since the Munsters.” And all that was before their mother’s life was tragically cut short. Four years later, Andersen’s book and other press reports make the princes sound far more than halfway normal (with the proviso that these, like most “inside” revelations from the palace, are basically uncheckable). They have a close relationship with their father, and have accepted his relationship with Parker Bowles. William and Harry are devoted to each other, even if Harry is determined to outdo his older brother on the ski slope and polo field. Of course there are the perhaps inevitable rumors about William’s love life. During his time in Chile, Andersen claims, on more than one occasion “William’s bodyguards reportedly looked the other way while he was locked in a passionate embrace with a female volunteer.” Andersen also suggests that William was seen spending the night in a tent with two women, “one blonde, one brunette.” Intriguing, but Kelley, appearing on “Larry King Live,” summed up what many might have felt when she retorted: “Christopher, I think you’d have a worldwide exclusive if you told us that this glorious-looking young man joined a celibate Benedictine monk abbey.” William is ‘a very traditional straight kind of guy. It’s often forgotten that he began his gap year [between high school and college] with the Welsh Guards in Belize. He likes that sort of thing.’ — ROBERT LACEY historian and biographer Not that there haven’t been more serious risks. Five high-profile aristocrats in William’s circle have been caught taking drugs — among them Tom Parker Bowles (Camilla’s son) and Tara Palmer-Tomkinson (the daughter of close friends of Charles) — but there is no suggestion that William has used drugs. The worst that has been said about him is that he had a massive hangover after one New Year’s Eve and that he is apparently a smoker, a habit that Andersen speculates would have enraged his mother. Andersen also claims that in the last year William has been at the center of as many as 20 security scares involving terrorist groups like the Real IRA (a radical offshoot of the Irish Republican Army) and other extremists. The severity of these threats is as yet unclear. But, said Lacey — author of “Royal: The Lives of the House of Windsor,” to be brought out to commemorate the queen’s Golden Jubilee next year — for all the tales of nightclubs and wild living, the real Prince William is very different. A career in the military is by far the most realistic option, the author believes. “He’s a very traditional straight kind of guy,” he said. “It’s often forgotten that he began his gap year [between high school and college] with the Welsh Guards in Belize. He likes that sort of thing. And the army would give him the privacy he wants.” And while Andersen reports that William said to one volunteer, “I rather like American girls. . . . I can easily see myself marrying one,” most royal-watchers in Britain say he is far more likely to stick with “his own sort” — aristocrats he has known for years — terrified as he is that he could be set up by the press. William is said to have a real disdain for the media. Two years ago, he skipped a skiing vacation rather than face intrusion by the paparazzi. “My own particular reading of the situation is that the queen and Prince Charles are very permissive . . . and that the boys have responded to that by taking on the traditional aspects of the royal family, happy to take on their duties and at ease with their destiny,” said Lacey. ‘Diana’s legacy lives on in the boys. But they are also her final revenge in the war of the Windsors. They are still her boys.’ — CHRISTOPHER ANDERSEN author Andersen calls this being “Windsorized” — Diana’s achievement being unacknowledged, much as her Spencer relatives have been cut off from the boys. “There has been an effort by the royal family to airbrush Diana out of the picture,” he said. “It reminds me of the Soviets.” William’s humanitarian work in Chile, however, suggests that the training for public life that Diana began has had an influence. “Diana’s legacy lives on in the boys,” said Andersen. “But they are also her final revenge in the war of the Windsors. They are still her boys.” Lacey said that “here in Britain we must try very hard not to place these ordinary human beings with all the weight of expectations that were placed in Charles and Diana, which they both disappointed.” He added that William and Harry “are sensitive young men, they are trying to lead private lives. And I don’t think that spreading who they may be going out with . . . is good for them.” But some — like Andersen — disagree, saying that media reports about the princes are a necessary and inevitable part of the process: The princes are, after all, public figures, second and third in line to the throne. “I think it is doing them [the princes] a disservice to have this wall between the public and the boys,” said Andersen. “Diana understood this; she wanted them to be like John Kennedy Jr. and embrace the media with humor, style and grace. . . . William needs practice; he cannot expect to be left alone. Just as his mother was the most celebrated woman in her time, he is going to be one of the most celebrated figures of the 21st century.”
  
  
• William's university was at the centre of a germ warfare alert last night. Experts were testing a white powder from a package sent to St Andrews which was marked "anthrax warning". A major security operation was launched at the university where Prince William will begin his history of art course next month. Police officers and fire fighters wearing blue protection suits cordoned off the area where the letter was received. It contained a single sheet of paper with the powder stuck to it.
  
  
• Emergency services yesterday dealt with a second germ warfare alert at Prince William's university. They were called in after Monday's anthrax scare - which some have linked to the Scottish National Liberation Army - by anxious marine biologists at St Andrews. But the suspect mail turned out to be a tube of water sent in an invitation from the BBC. And tests have shown Monday's parcel did not contain anthrax.

August 19, 2001 -

• William's every move in St Andrews will be monitored by secret CCTV cameras linked to a London nerve centre staffed by Metropolitan police. Yesterday, civil liberties campaigners raised fears that the huge secret spy camera operation will invade other students' privacy. The covert cameras have been fitted around the town and campus and even include a tiny lens hidden inside a clock. But security experts said hiding the CCTV cameras meant there was nothing to deter people from attacking the prince, a potential target for terrorists and criminals. The prince, who arrives to start university next month, knows nothing of the enormous operation. Contractors have already laid miles of hi-tech cable, which will transmit pictures round-the-clock to the police nerve centre in London. Cameras have been placed at every access route to the prince's residence at St Salvator's College. A senior security source said yesterday William was a potential target for criminals and terrorists and his decision to mingle with fellow students demanded special measures. St Andrews police station is already being adapted to house the officers in William's protection team. Police have been working for months on the operation that will swing into action when William arrives at St Andrews to study art history. Extensive new cabling linked to hidden cameras has been laid in the university library, which also has visible CCTV cameras and where all students are warned they are being filmed. But the news that youngsters will be unknowingly caught on cameras placed in dozens of covert vantage points around the university has outraged human rights campaigners. Rosemary McIlwhan, director of the Scottish Human Rights Centre, said: "We have grave concerns about the fact that these cameras are not regulated and there is no control over them. It leads to huge potential for abuse and loss of privacy." She added that students could use either the Human Rights Act, the Interception of Communications Act or the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act to challenge the situation. "We would advise anyone who believes they have been filmed or photographed without permission to consult a lawyer, but these acts are there to protect them." A source in St Andrews said: "It's all very secretive. I'm sure other students will be alarmed to learn that their movements are being recorded on camera without their permission. There are cameras all over but you would never think it. "The images could go anywhere in the world for monitoring purposes. "The Metropolitan Police is paying for the work being carried out, and they have commissioned a number of different contractors to do various things so that nobody really gets the full picture. "Time sheets and maps of where they want the cables to go are stamped every morning and handed out then collected in again at night. "The workers are not allowed to leave with any paper relating to the work being done, and they are careful not to give one company too much work, in case they can then work out where everything is going." Covert surveillance expert James Morrice, based in Aberdeen, said: "They are doing it in the safest way possible by using fibre-optics. They will have a dedicated link to London and there is no way that can be intercepted by any other parties. "The quality is also superb." But one security expert, who did not want to be named, criticised the decision to hide the cameras from students. "These cameras will be useful to monitor any strangers watching the prince from a distance but do nothing to prevent an attack or abduction," he said. Half the value of surveillance cameras is the deterrence value. "That benefit is completely lost because of all the secret squirrel stuff. It seems a bit over the top." The prince starts at St Andrews next month and is expected to stay in the town for at least three years. Provision has already been made at nearby RAF Leuchars for transporting the prince to and from his Scottish studies. Last night, a palace spokesman would not comment on whether the prince was aware of the surveillance. The university and the Metropolitan Police also refused to comment. Meanwhile, it emerged that William has chosen geography as one of the two additional subjects he will study in his first year.
  
  
• Princess Charlotte of Monaco, granddaughter of the late Grace Kelly, is coming to London. The 15-year-old is set to spend some of the year at the home of her stepfather, the Queen's cousin Prince Ernst von Hanover. She has friends in Wills' social circle and royal watchers are predicting romance. European royal commentators have a frenzied interest in the teenager who is already a magazine cover girl. One magazine has even dubbed their potential romance "A Royal Match Made in Heaven". Charlotte gets her stunning looks from her glamorous mother Princess Caroline. And there is more than a passing resemblance to the classic beauty of the late Princess Grace. Now she has been made a hot favourite to sweep 19-year-old William off his feet. The shy, raven-haired girl has much in common with him. Friends say that she is a good student and an accomplished horsewoman, which is a plus with polo- playing Wills and his family. She loves horses and competes in amateur showjumping competitions. She's also a big motor racing fan. And Charlotte has spent time in Africa, a favourite destination for our royals. She has just had her belly button pierced but the fashion-conscious teenager is no wild child. This year, she is desperate to come to London where her stepfather maintains a stately home. And in the social calendar, she is bound to meet Wills, who is expected to fall for her charms. Charlotte has model looks and appears on magazine covers in Monaco, tanned and wearing a tiny bikini. "She has the same stunning good looks as her mother," said Monaco palace adviser Jean Bortier. "She is yet another beauty in the line of her legendary grandmother, Princess Grace." The youngster has the blue blood credentials to become a future Queen. Her mother married Prince Ernst of Hanover - a cousin of Queen Elizabeth - last year. It makes Charlotte a distant in-law of William. The Hanover connection gives her more legitimacy than her title from the tiny principality of Monaco. Her father was Italian property tycoon Stefano Casiraghi - Caroline's second husband - who died in a speedboat crash. But Wills and the Windsor clan might take on more than they bargained for. The youngster is the pride and joy of her widower grandfather Prince Rainier, 77. He is said to dote on her and is very protective of the young royal. Note...this is just what some writer cooked up. Charlotte is Catholic. Learn more about her at http://angelfire.com/wa/youngroyals.
  
  
• William is to perform a day of royal engagements in Scotland sometime in September.

August 18, 2001 -

• St. James Palace and Buckingham Palace have denied reports that Charles is to marry Camilla as several tabloids had been reporting.
  
  
• Tatler revealed its so-called "A-list" and The Times found out how they stacked up with people who actually party with them. Inlcudes a couple members of the Wills Set. Click here.

August 15, 2001 -

• Prince William has turned into a skirt-chasing ladies' man - actively pursuing beautiful blondes and using a private suite to entertain them, a sensational new book claims. William, now 19, has developed a "growing reputation" as "a one-man wrecking crew among the girls," according to "Diana's Boys," by Christopher Andersen. And most of his "dalliances" seem to be with "tall leggy blondes" who bear a striking likeness to his mom, claims the book on the lives of the two sons of Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana. As early as 16, William "was bringing girls home to his top-floor suite at York House, a private five-room house next to his father's residence, which royal security would avoid. "To ensure that not even Papa would barge in on him, Wills insisted that he have the only key to his suite," the book says. As he grew older, "more and more" young women were dropping by for "tea," the formal excuse William would give for their visits, the book says. He is believed to have embarked on several sexual adventures - including a threesome - last year when he volunteered his time on a charity project in Chile, according to the book. "During the weeks they lived in a tent city, William was seen entering a young woman's tent at night and leaving the next morning," the book says. One of the volunteers tells the author that William also "spent the night with two women - a blonde and brunette" - in an atmosphere with "a lot of bed-hopping going on."
  
  
• In his book, Andersen writes about Prince Will's many sexual trysts, including a threesome he supposedly had last year in Chile, while on a volunteer trip for a charity organization. One volunteer told Andersen that William "spent the night with two women - a blonde and brunette," and added that there seemed to be "a lot of bed-hopping going on." No word on how the volunteer knew there was any real bed-hopping actually going on. The book also contains a few allegations that would certainly make the Queen Mum blush. William is said to have used a top-floor suite at York House next to his father's home to have young women over for "tea." Andersen claims that Wills was the only one with a key to the suite, "to ensure that not even Papa would barge in on him…" Wills, who is now 19, seems to prefer tall blondes who, according to Andersen, "bear a striking resemblance to his mom." Now, I don't know for certain here, but wouldn't most men prefer a tall, leggy, blonde? Sounds to us like Wills is going to be just fine.
  
  
• Royal aides have criticised a new biography said to portray Prince William as a bed-hopping sex machine. St James's Palace said the book, published in America, is without foundation and full of ludicrous allegations. Diana's Boys: William and Harry and the Mother They Loved was written by American Christopher Andersen, who claims to have interviewed a series of sources close to the princes. Andersen last stirred up controversy when he wrote The Day Diana Died, which prompted fury from Buckingham Palace over his claims about the royal family's reaction to the princess's death. His latest book alleges Prince William has developed a "growing reputation" for bringing girls home to his private suite at York House, in St James's Palace. Andersen also claims young volunteers with the Prince on his Chile adventures last year told him there was "a lot of bed-hopping going on". The New York Post reported some of the details but St James's Palace has appealed to the British media not to repeat them. A spokeswoman said: "These allegations are without foundation and are utterly contemptible." There are no immediate plans to publish the book in Britain, said a spokeswoman for publisher William Morrow in New York.
  
  

August 14, 2001 -

• German tabloids have been calling Natalie Hicks-Lobbecke William's girlfriend after taking pictures of her in his company recently. Natalie first met William at a polo match last year.

August 11, 2001 -

• The Prince of Wales will resist pressure from senior members of the Royal Household who want Prince William to play a significant role in the Queen's Golden Jubilee celebrations next year. Some of the Queen's most senior advisers at Buckingham Palace believe that Prince William's ability to capture the public imagination could be the key to a successful year of festivities throughout 2002. They hope the Prince, 19, will make several public appearances during the year, including some at the Queen's side. Courtiers are convinced he will appeal particularly to younger people. Prince Charles, however, according to his senior aides, is determined to protect his elder son from being exploited to "save" the Golden Jubilee celebrations, which have encountered early setbacks. There is private anxiety at Buckingham Palace that the monarchy will be harmed if the Golden Jubilee celebrations flop. Prince Charles, say his advisers, is determined that William should concentrate on his studies and believes his son is still too young to play a leading public role. The anticipated role for Prince William is already causing friction between Buckingham Palace and St James's Palace, where the Queen and Prince Charles have their respective private offices. One of the Queen's most senior aides confirmed last week that advisers at Buckingham Palace are seeking a significant part for Prince William in the Jubilee celebrations. "We hope he will play a big role," said one, "but we know this is a delicate area and something that will have to be handled carefully." A senior aide to Prince Charles said, however, that the heir to the throne was determined to protect Prince William next year during his first year as a student at St Andrews University in Scotland. The aide said: "There are a lot of people sitting around at meetings at Buckingham Palace talking about the Golden Jubilee and asking, 'How do we appeal to young people? How do we get media attention? And some are saying, 'I know, let's get Prince William involved'. "But they haven't asked him or his father about it. In terms of any formal role, I suspect there will be one occasion during the year when they [the Royal Family] will all get together publicly but, other than that, I would be very surprised if Prince William gets involved. "Prince Charles takes the view that Prince William shouldn't have a formal, public role until he has completed his education. That doesn't mean he won't do the odd thing with his father, but doing something on his own - or with the Queen - is very unlikely." Senior royal aides said yesterday that neither the Queen nor her advisers had yet made a formal approach to Prince Charles over Prince William's role for next year.
  
  
• Prince Charles' polo fall last week has clearly done nothing to cool his son's passion for the sport. Prince Harry looked fearless yesterday as he took to the saddle during his holidays from Eton. And while some other members of the Royal Family were making do with a dreich break at Balmoral, Harry was sweating it out on a polo field in the south of Spain. The 16-year-old prince was among the spectators who watched Charles being knocked out as he tumbled from his pony during a charity match last Friday. Later, Charles shrugged off the fall and vowed to continue playing polo. And as far as Harry is concerned, it's obviously a case of like father, like son.
  
  
• James Duckworth-Chad, 28, a cousin of Princess Diana, is going to become one of Queen Elizabeth's key right-hand men throughout Her Majesty's Golden Jubilee next year (marking the 50th year of her reign). Duckworth-Chad, a captain in the Coldstream Guards, was handpicked to be a courtier and began work on Wednesday. He is the older brother of Davina Duckworth-Chad, a member of Prince William's social set. The Duckworth-Chads are second cousins of Diana, and cousins three times removed to Prince William. The royal family has long-standing links with the Spencers and these have continued despite the ups and many downs that came with Diana's marriage to -- and subsequent divorce from -- Prince Charles. Until two years ago, the Queen's most important servant was her private secretary Sir Robert (now Lord) Fellowes, who is Diana's brother-in-law, via her sister Lady Jane Fellowes. Their daughter Laura is close to Prince William. James Duckworth-Chad's duties will include helping the Queen's household with logistics and assisting with planning events and engagements. Usually, the appointment lasts for three years.

August 8, 2001 -

• The Royal Family were at the centre of a new security alert last night after an electronic organiser containing their private phone numbers was offered for sale. The device fell into the hands of opportunists who hoped to profit by selling it for thousands of pounds. Instead of taking the palm-sized device to the police, once they realised it contained not only numbers for many royal residences but also mobile phone numbers for Princes William and Harry, they set about contacting journalists. The electronic organiser was offered to the Daily Mail by a man calling himself Peter, who claimed it was given to his children by a friend. He said the man had picked it up near the Beaufort Polo Club, near Cirencester, Gloucestershire, where Charles and Harry played in a charity tournament at the beginning of June. A source at the Met said last night: 'We are anxious to identify this man and track him down - and hope that someone will recognise him from the photograph.' The gadget contained phone numbers for many residences including: Princess Anne's home Gatcombe Park; the Bagshot Park home of the Earl and Countess of Wessex; Windsor Castle; the Queen's Scottish residence Balmoral and even door codes to Althorp, Princess Diana's family home. Of close friends and staff of the Royals, there were contact details for Tiggy Legge-Bourke, the young Princes' former nanny; Charles's polo manager Robert Ffrench Blake; William's bodyguard Mark Dyer; safari company owner David Dugmore, who organised William's trip around Botswana earlier this year; and a mobile number for Laura Fellowes, William's 19-year-old cousin and close friend. No security code had been entered into the organiser to prevent the wrong people accessing the information. The Daily Mail was contacted by 'Peter' earlier this week and asked how much a newspaper would be willing to pay for the organiser. He insisted it was not stolen but refused to reveal his identity, claiming he was a businessman whose livelihood would be jeopardised if his clients knew he had been speaking to a newspaper. But when he realised that he would have to hand the property to the police and explain how it came into his possession, he refused to cooperate further. Last night St James's Palace said the organiser belonged to William's police bodyguard, Sergeant Kevin Sullivan. He reported its loss to senior officers. They are satisfied the numbers which can be accessed do not compromise royal security. But a senior Palace source said: 'We would like it back. It is not this man's property and it should be returned to its rightful owner.'
  
  
• Police have dismissed newspaper reports that a Scottish militant group had made threats to kill Prince William. The Scottish National Liberation Army (SNLA), a little-known militant group seeking Scotland's independence from Britain, was reported to have sent a bogus bomb carrying a warning "This is Anthrax" to St Andrews University where the prince is due to begin studies later this year. The "bomb", which turned out to be totally harmless, was posted to the Scottish university's admissions office on August 2, the newspapers said. William, the dashing son of Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana, is currently enjoying a year off from education before beginning a four-year art history degree in September. "We can kill William, should he attend, and we will," the newspapers -- the Daily Express and Daily Star -- quoted the SNLA as saying. But Scottish police and Scotland Yard, which provides the armed officers who guard the prince, denied any knowledge of the threats. "We know nothing about it," a spokesman for Fife police in Scotland told Reuters. "We don't know who's made it up. When I asked about it everyone's eyebrows just raised." A Scotland Yard spokesman said no report of any threat had been received. "If that threat had been made, it would have come through to us at some point," he said. The SNLA has never carried out any serious attacks but has sent out letter bombs to academics and politicians. In 1995 the group sent six letter bombs, including one to the home of Prime Minister Tony Blair in northern England. Police described the devices as "crude" and said they had failed to work. In January, St Andrews University dismissed newspaper reports that there was a plot to bug the prince with listening devices.

August 5, 2001 -

• Prince Charles has spoken of his lucky escape during the shock polo accident that had many fearing for his life – and admitted to a celebrity audience: "I feel like a wally". Aides revealed that he told them what he could remember of the dramatic tumble he took on Friday. "He said the horse fell from beneath him and at one point was in danger of falling on top of him," said one. "Luckily it didn't." It emerged yesterday that just hours after he was knocked unconscious at the charity match, Prince Charles while in hospital faxed a hand-written speech to his son, Prince William, to read out at a gala dinner held at Highgrove that night. And while making light of the incident, the 52-year-old Prince told aides at his side in the hospital: "Don't let my grandmother come and visit me – I could not cope with the shame." The Queen Mother was also hospitalised last week and required a blood transfusion after being daignosed as anaemic. But she bounced back in time for her 101st birthday festivities at the weekend, and Prince Charles insisted he leave hosptial in time to join her and the rest of the royal family for the event. It was Princess Margaret who was clearly the most frail member of the Royal party as the Queen led the clan out of Clarence House. Princess Margaret emerged from a London hospital after her second stroke seven months ago with poise and courage. But on Saturday she was pushed out of the gates of Clarence House in a wheelchair, her hunched figure swathed in a blanket. The Princess's face was alarmingly swollen, an effect, possibly, of treatment with steroids. Her left arm, badly affected by the strokes, was held firmly in a hospital sling. And Margaret's partially-sighted eyes were behind sunglasses, to protect them from sunlight and photographers flashguns. Charles had originally been due to greet guests at Highgrove for Friday night's dinner. Instead, his speech was delivered by William to an audience of 200 guests, including supermodel Claudia Schiffer and a string of celebreties, in what is thought to be his first public speech. British television quiz show host Richard Whiteley, sat beside Camilla Parker Bowles at the lavish reception, held to celebrate the completion of the new Islamic-style garden at Highgrove. Diners toasted the absent Prince with champagne, but Mrs Parker Bowles spoke of her fears when she had first heard of the fall. She told Mr Whiteley: "I was worried. I thought 'Oh my God he's fallen off his horse. I hope he's going to be all right'." But as she learned that the Prince would make a full recovery, she had felt reassured. Mr Whiteley said: "By the time we all arrived she was very calm and in a good mood. She is a terrific lady. "Prince Charles was obviously very disappointed that he couldn't be there with us and had faxed over a very amusing speech." Whiteley said the 19-year-old Prince William handled the responsibility of substituting for his father with ease. "Prince William read it very well – it was incredibly witty. The tone was self-deprecating. Charles more or less said, 'What a wally I am. You are all having great fun while I am lying in a hospital bed'. "It was jocular and very good-humoured, saying that he felt a silly old sausage for coming off his horse yet again. "We all gave a huge round of applause when William had finished reading it." The guests had learned of the accident at Cirencester, Gloucestershire, only an hour before the party was due to begin, though there had been private speculation by organisers that it might have to be cancelled. But in true Royal tradition, Charles – despite being in considerable pain in his hospital bed – was determined that the dinner go ahead without him. Diners raised a glass to Prince Charles' good health before enjoying a meal of pea mousse, lamb and fresh vegetables as the main course and gooseberry compote for pudding. Prince Charles left Cheltenham General Hospital on Saturday, walking stiffly and looking shaken. But he smiled and said: "I'm all right, thank you very much. I am still alive." Meanwhile it emerged that the quick action of the Prince's senior protection officer, Stuart Osborne, may have prevented a much more serious scenario. Palace sources said the detective had cleared Charles tongue from his throat within seconds of him hitting the ground. It had been raining steadily and the ground was very wet. The horse literally fell from under the Prince. He landed with a bump and the horse nearly landed on top of him. "He did swallow his tongue, but that was resolved very quickly," said a Royal aide. "He was knocked out for about a minute and for another hour didn't really know what was going on." Chief Inspector Osborne worked for two years for the late Princess of Wales and became Charles' personal bodyguard in 1999. He is credited with averting a potentially disastrous outcome. "Stuart will not take any credit, but his reactions in the critical moments after the accident were vital. "He was quick to be at the Prince's side and behaved coolly in circumstances which could have become quickly far more serious," said the aide. After being transferred from Cirencester Hospital to Cheltenham General Hospital, the Prince was treated by Dr Tom Llewellyn, a consultant in emergency medicine in Monpellier ward, a private ward with individual rooms. Charles told doctors he wanted to leave the hospital and return home to Highgrove, but was advised that he was suffering from significant concussion. As a precautionary measure, he was told, he would be better off remaining at the hospital. Resigned to a night away from home, Charles settled down to write the speech he could not deliver personally and, with the help of a valet, completed some other routine Royal paperwork. One of the first things Prince Charles had done in hospital, after undergoing a brain scan and X-rays, was telephone his family and close aides. It was during these conversations that he jokingly referred to the shame of having his veteran grandmother finding him laid up in hospital. He spoke to the Queen, the Queen Mother, both his boys and Camilla Parker Bowles. During the night he was woken every two hours to make sure he was all right, and examined again by Dr Llewellyn at 8am before being allowed to go on to the Queen Mothers 101st birthday celebrations in London. His aides said he had spent a comfortable night and enjoyed a light supper. The food was brought by his butler from his home at Highgrove. As he left, the Prince gave the medical team bags of food treats from Highgrove, including dark chocolate, fudge and whisky cake and chocolate creams. He had also made time to say goodbye to the man in the room next door, saying he hoped that his neighbour had not been disturbed. After his departure the hospital saw a renewed flurry of activity – the sheets and bedding were burned to prevent anyone taking them as souvenirs and his bed was sent to storage: so that it is never identified as that used by the Royal. Prince Charles's butler packed the Prince's bags into a fleet of waiting cars and the Prince departed, carrying a bunch of flowers given to him by a member of staff.
  
  
• It's August, so Tump, Trig, Tobs and Tris are all looking for "birdage" outside the pub, while Binky, Bonky and Bodge are puffing away on furtive Marlboro Lights and trying not to be sick. Welcome to Cornwall, where the double-barrelled dimwits from Eton and Harrow have made their annual migration to the quaint seaside resort of Rock. An equally inevitable annual event is the reams of prose devoted to Rock, usually penned by the "birdage", turning their limited talents to breathless accounts of posh palaver in the dunes. The rest of us are supposed to be thrilled by the banal ramblings of these Tatler tots. Well, guess what? We're not. In fact, we're all utterly sick of Rock. Rock is trumpeted as Britain's teenage St Tropez, and it is very exclusive, given that holidaying in Britain is far more expensive than Provence. You also have a chance of bumping into Wills and Harry, who come down each year, albeit surrounded by the sort of ghastly Annabelles and Henriettas most people would happily leave the country to avoid. Apart from that, though, the allure is hard to fathom: having to step through champagne-induced vomit isn't actually more pleasurable than skidding in the Special Brew variety, nor alleviated by knowing the person responsible is nicknamed "Flappy"; the bray of "What school do you go to?" is every bit as annoying as "Millwaaall". Fortunately, the Rock gods are easy to spot, and therefore to avoid. If the Oakley sunnies (beloved of Prince William) aren't enough of a giveaway, the commonest grockle can still spot the public-school boys a mile off as they mill outside the Mariners, hoping to score a Bacardi Breezer. Yes, you'll be glad to hear that the chaps all sport the names of their schools on the backs of their faded sweatshirts. Who needs to flash labels when you can flaunt your alma mater? Especially as, outside the Mariners, Harrow is a bigger hit with the chicks than Hilfiger. (And if you're a really wacky Etonian, you can wear a "Slough" vest - Eton, Slough Comprehensive, geddit?) Of course, it's all good for the economy--if your idea of business is to hike local prices to Knightsbridge levels--which makes the locals' equally inevitable annual whinge about upper-class yobs who should know better rather hard to swallow. As one Etonian put it: "Look, what's the problem? We bring good trade to the place. Without us, this would be nothing." (He's right, but you still want to punch him.) Suddenly, moaning about the Germans grabbing the loungers seems like holiday heaven.
  
  
• An interesting article from this time last year that I just happened across: British boys have been getting in a lot of trouble, poor loves. Hundreds, including Prince William, flocked to Cornwall after their exams to let off some steam. Little did they know that their pictures would end up plastered all over the papers with a publicity-mad MP, Paul Tyler, poking fun at them and calling them names. Tyler must have had quite a laugh writing his press release: words like 'yobs', 'brats' and 'rowdies' have filled the headlines. You have to wonder what the darlings could have done to deserve a worse press than Geri Halliwell. Tyler's answer was: 'They make a lot of noise and leave litter and there is some swearing.' Swearing? Our boys? Never. Then the American Ambassador's daughter, Mary-Catherine Lader, decided to kick them while they were down and wrote in Tatler that English boys 'really suck', their trousers are 'too tight' and they have a 'lack of appealing social skills'. I suppose it all depends on what you find appealing. American boys and I never really hit it off, although I lived there for three years and have spent many summers in Washington. Both the two relationships I attempted with American jocks ended with me making a joke, them not understanding irony and getting offended, and me getting dumped. Although American guys might be quite cool, with their Gap khakis and cars, they don't have a sense of humour. English guys do sometimes wear trousers that are a little too tight, but American boys wear trousers so huge that they have to clutch them while getting out of cars for fear of being, God forbid, unintentionally funny. Lader ought to come down to Cornwall for a few days this summer. It's the perfect place to study the behaviour of British youth. Attractive English boys aren't like attractive American boys. Attractive Americans are quarter-back football players with naturally blond hair. Attractive English boys go swimming from a freezing Cornwall beach at 4am to amuse you. They get drunk sometimes; they get into fights. They have a laugh and mostly don't take themselves as seriously as their American equivalents. They might not have American biceps or American tans, but they are gentlemen. English boys won't let you walk home alone, they laugh at your jokes, and one even carried me over a puddle so my boots didn't get wet. I was in Rock last week and knew no one, but everyone was eager to help. Monty Cyzer, 17, from Cranleigh school gave me a rundown of all the people who got 'rat-arsed' last week. (One ran naked across the beach with a paper bag over his head, another got lost on the golf course.) Just about the whole of Mariners pub gave their opinion on the feud developing between the tourists and the locals. Everybody agreed that only about 5 per cent of the young visitors were trouble-makers; the rest were just trying to have some (almost) innocent fun. OK, there have been a few incidents. A fence has been ripped up (there is not enough firewood on Cornish beaches: the politicians should do something about it) and a car was badly damaged. But its owner was philosophical: 'The kids are great during the day. It's just when the younger ones get drunk that it's a nightmare.' According to some of the kids outside the pub, drivers get annoyed with crowds blocking roads and push forward, hoping to make them shift. Then the kids, a little tipsy, think the cars are trying to run them over. Charlie Nash, 17, said: 'There is a minority causing the problem, and that problem has been exaggerated. We're being generalised and accused. It's a prejudiced scenario.' Lader should like Charlie: he even talks like an American. English boys have flair and don't look like they've just been bought off the shelf. American boys all dress the same, mirroring Gap's latest adverts. They chew gum and they're monosyllabic. They are too bland and too wholesome. English boys are individuals, even if they sometimes take things too far. I can see that it's not very attractive when English boys run naked across the beach with paper bags over their heads, but at least it's not politically correct. Just over a fortnight ago, there was a huge beach fight, which began when a local threw sand at a London boy. The visitor swore at him and the local punched him. Since then there have been nine altercations. This is a noble tradition, long observed by upper-class students and townsfolk. Not that Paul Tyler is likely to see it that way. The visitors can't vote for him. But not every local shares his view. 'Tyler just needs the locals' vote,' said one. 'He's a lanky, red-haired spoilt toff himself. He's giving Cornwall a bad name.' He said it. Not me. The local pubs have to bear some of the blame for all this fandango.The only reason young people started coming to Rock was because of its reputation for liberal drinking practices. If 13-year-olds can get alcohol, of course they're going to get drunk, and of course they're going to do absurd things like pull up fences. An eight-year-old boy walked into the pub, sans ID, and ordered a pint. He didn't get served. Then a girl, who looked about 15, in a strapless sequinned scarf top, went up to the bar and got served without being asked for ID. The boy said: 'If I had nice breasts, would you serve me?' 'No,' said the barman. 'They'd look weird on you.' American boys are no good at taking alcohol. Our English boys have been trained to drink from an early age. One American claimed to have drunk two bottles of tequila, nine vodka shots and two bottles of wine last weekend. I expect he was lying. According to Lader, American guys usually ask girls out 'without any fuss or worry'. True, but what an embarrassing way to be asked out. In England, a guy might say: 'Do you want to go have a coffee some time?', which is easy to answer without too much pressure on either party. Americans, blunt as always, are more likely to ask: 'So shall we hook up?' Yuk. I can see where Lader is coming from, though.Fifteen-year-old boys of every nationality are horrible, especially those you meet at Capital VIP balls where their sole objective is to get their hands up as many skirts as is humanly possible. They're not like that forever. Eventually they learn to hide their real objectives behind a charming exterior. I shouldn't be surprised if Lader's father were so shocked by the present reputation of British youth that he sent little Miss America straight back home, what with young Master Blair getting disgracefully drunk and the future King of England hanging around on a beach with people who rip up fences for firewood. A nice English teenager had better save a drowning dog or something soon, before it's too late to clean up their image. If the adored and handsome Prince William hadn't been in Rock to focus everyone's attention on Cornwall, no one would have noticed any of this. He, of course, behaved immaculately. He was modest, self-effacing, tall. I can't help thinking though: he does look a little American, doesn't he?

August 4, 2001 -

• Prince Charles has joined the Queen Mother as she made a second appearance at the Clarence House gates. The Prince appeared to have no ill-effects after his fall playing polo yesterday. He had spent the night in hospital but was determined to be with his grandmother on her birthday. Standing close by were Prince William, with his younger brother Prince Harry. The most frail member of the royal party was Princess Margaret, 70, who has suffered two strokes. She sat in a wheelchair, with her left arm in a sling and wearing heavy dark glasses. The Queen Mother stood with her two walking sticks as she watched the King's troop, Royal Horse Artillery ride past having fired a 41-gun salute in nearby Hyde Park. Shortly afterwards the Queen arrived from Buckingham Palace for her mother's birthday lunch. Also present were the Prince Andrew and his daughters, Princess Beatrice, who is 13 on Wednesday, and Princess Eugenie, 11, and the Princess Anne, with her husband Commodore Timothy Laurence, son Peter Phillips, 23, and daughter Zara Phillips, 20. Princess Margaret's daughter, Lady Sarah Chatto, arrived with her husband Daniel and their two young children - making four generations of Royals at the birthday party. Unexpectedly, the Queen Mother made a final curtain call with her daughter the Queen and Prince Phillip who, despite having official engagements later in Cumbria, was at the family lunch. Again, the birthday royal waved and smiled as well-wishers gave her "three cheers". The Royal party then retired to Clarence House for a celebratory luncheon in the Queen Mother's honour.

August 3, 2001 -

• Another article on Charles's fall w/ more details: Shocked princes William and Harry watched in horror as their dad fell from his horse and lay unconscious on the ground yesterday. But within an hour, they were back on their own mounts - and playing polo. Prince Charles was thrown off when his horse reared as he played a match with the two boys.. Witnesses claimed the horse then fell on him. The prince was knocked out for several minutes. As soon as he saw his father fall, Prince William, 19, leapt from his own horse and ran to his side. Prince Harry frantically waved at an ambulance which was on duty at the side of the field. Witnesses said Charles, 52, lay motionless on the ground as an ambulance and two of his bodyguards raced onto the polo field. Amid dramatic scenes, two black official cars drove on to the field to block the public view of the stricken prince as he laid on the ground. Ten minutes later, an ambulance, using blue flashing lights but without a siren, rushed the prince to nearby hospital at Cirencester, Gloucestershire. He was later transferred by ambulance to Cheltenham General Hospital 17 miles away for emergency treatment. Last night, a spokesman for the prince said: "He fell awkwardly and hit the ground quite heavily. But at this stage, it doesn't look like there are any broken bones." Aides were last night waiting for the result of x-ray tests. Within an hour of the accident, the two princes were back on their horses to finish the game. The prince's place was taken by his groom. William and Harry were expected to visit their father in hospital last night. The Prince and his sons were all playing for a team called Highgrove - the name of their Gloucestershire country home - in a polo match for the Meadows Cup at Cirencester Park when the accident happened shortly after 4.15pm. They had only been playing 20 minutes and had just changed horses. However, in the slippery conditions, the Prince's horse reared up, throwing the royal onto the wet grass. As the Prince was transported off the field, William and Harry were ushered to a stable block. Witnesses claim they looked shocked and worried. Spectators at the event included ex-Lara Croft model Nell McAndrew and Hollyoaks actress Eve White. Last night, a dinner which the prince and his partner Camilla Parker Bowles were due to host at Highgrove looked as if it would go ahead without him. Among the guests were supermodel Claudia Schiffer, actor David Jason and TV gardener Alan Titchmarsh. It was organised to celebrate moving an Islamic-style garden - part of the recent Chelsea Flower Show - to Highgrove. His injury has also thrown into doubt his plans to attend celebrations to mark the Queen Mother's 101st birthday in London today. Last night, sources said the prince hoped to recover in time to take part. The princes' team were 2-1 up in the match when the accident happened. The Highgrove team went on to win, the match, which was the final in the Meadows Cup in aid of charities, including Macmillan Cancer Care, the Tetbury Hospital Trust and a kidney patient charity in Gloucester.
  
  
• Prince Charles had been scheduled to host a dinner at Highgrove to mark the installation of the Islamic garden he designed for the Chelsea Flower Show. Prince William and Prince Harry stepped in to represent their father after he fell off his horse and was knocked briefly unconscious at a charity polo match.
  
  
• The Prince of Wales has been taken to hospital after falling off his horse playing polo. The accident happened halfway through the second period of play during a charity match in Cirencester, Gloucestershire. It is not yet known whether he has broken any bones in the fall, says a St James's Palace spokeswoman. The 52-year-old Prince was playing in the Highgrove Team alongside his sons, princes William and Harry, when the accident happened at about 4pm. The boys were planning to continue playing the rest of the match with a substitute in their father's absence. A spokeswoman said: "The fall happened halfway through the second chukka and he has gone to hospital in Cirencester."
  
  
• On the brink of manhood, Princes William, 19, and Harry, 16, grow closer as each forges his own identity, People reports in its latest cover story. Boys no more, the British princes are not only maturing gracefully into manhood, they seem to be growing into a comfortable and supportive relationship that erases the 27 months between them. "As they get older, the age difference diminishes and they get closer," says Peter Archer, royals reporter for Britain's Press Association. "They genuinely enjoy each other's company." And perhaps each other's differences. Keenly aware of his place in the royal lineup, the shy and introspective William, 19, remains a classic first son, responsible, serious and controlled. "William very much plays up to being the older brother," says a friend. "He looks out for Harry." The more volatile Harry, 16, continues to be easygoing and carefree, often looking to William to take the lead. "I think Harry is quite happy being second," suggests another pal. Still, Harry's fiery side can flare when he feels overshadowed or put down by his big brother. "William might occasionally tell him not to be stupid or have a laugh at his expense," says a family friend. "Like all brothers, they do have cross words, but they are a good support for each other." And each, more than anyone else in the world, is in a position to know just how the other feels--about being in the spotlight, about the blessings and burdens of growing up royal, about losing a parent who was both the most famous woman in the world and, more simply, their mother. "They need each other in terms of moral support," says a friend of William's. "Since the death of their mother, even more so." Their bond is based on more, of course, than shared pain. Both William and Harry love polo, country weekends spent with horses and hounds (when William sees a dog, he bounds right up to it, says a friend), and hanging out at fashionable London nightspots. And both also seem to possess similar tastes in female companions. Tall and slim, with long blonde hair and hyphenated last names, their teenage gal pals look virtually interchangeable in the grainy, long-range shots captured by paparazzi. William is often found in the company of young women like former PR agent Natalie Hicks-Lobbecke, 23, or Davina Duckworth-Chad, 22, a cousin. Both young women are members of the princes' elite social gang. "They all know each other," says Brian Hoey, author of 15 books on the British royals. "Their parents know each other. Their grandparents know each other." Another of those linked to William is Emilia d'Erlanger, 19, the granddaughter of a viscount. Known to her chums as "Mili," the blonde beauty is said to share William's love of art history. Though she, like William, is expected to enter Scotland's University of St. Andrews in September, a friend insists, "romance is out of the question." And indeed at present, Mili appears to be equally chummy with Harry. For more, buy a copy of this week's People magazine.
  
  
• Older article posted by Jules at WNandPB: The mother of Natalie Hicks-Lobbecke, who hit the headlines after being spotted with Prince William at a prestigious polo match, praised her daughter's courage and intelligence in coping with the media frenzy that followed. Rosemarie Hicks-Lobbecke, of Newport, in Warminster, said national and international media interest has been intrusive and inaccurate. Miss Hicks-Lobbecke, 22, former headgirl of Warminster School, caused a storm after being spotted laughing and joking with 18-year-old Prince William, at the Beaufort Polo Club in Cirencester on Sunday. They were at the polo club to take part in the Calcot Manor Hotel Country Fair, where Prince Charles played in a charity polo match. A falconry and gun dog display also enthralled the crowds with more than £30,000 being raised for the Countryside Foundation for Education. Mrs Hicks-Lobbecke, whose husband Stephen is a high-ranking Army officer, said Natalie's experience of being an Army child and living abroad would have prepared her for the media frenzy. She said: Army children will always stick out and you will find that by talking to any of them. They have to cope with an awful lot and it makes them quite strong. Natalie is very sociable and because she has had to meet new people, she has had to be incredibly courageous all the time. But she played down stories about her daughter's friendship with the prince. She said: There is nothing really exciting about it all other than they had a very good time as they are both incredibly nice people. She added: Prince William just happens to be one of her friends, they are good chums. They certainly have lots of laughs judging from the photos. We have been very lucky with our girls but they weren't bluestockings. They were good fun at school and did naughty things like smoking behind the pavilion, but I have never had to worry about them. Mrs Hicks-Lobbecke whose older daughter, Fleur, 26, also attended Warminster School, believes media interest has been unwarranted. She said: The Mirror wrote that I had been KO'd. I had to look that and the word gobsmacked up in the dictionary. A German paper also rang me up and what they wrote nearly gave me a heart attack. Miss Hicks-Lobbecke left Warminster School four years ago and achieved a 2:1 in her history of art degree, at Bristol University. Her plans include taking a gap year before pursuing a career in the PR industry.