...For June 2003

June 29, 2003 -

• Young prince battles on under watchful eye of father
  
  HE was dumped in undignified fashion on his breeches, but for Harry, England and St George the battle continued yesterday. Under the watchful eye of his father, Prince Harry fell from his mount after it reared up in the opening minute of his first international polo match. The teenager was brought down to earth moments after the Prince of Wales arrived, by helicopter, to watch his son captain the English schools polo team against France.
  
  The game was stopped temporarily while the prince, playing in the "pivotal" No 2 spot, mounted another pony. Within moments, he was in the thick of the action, frequently punting the ball upfield and, in the fifth minute, he scored. However, the French began to dominate the field under blue skies and in hot sunshine and they went on to lift the Stoneythorpe Estate Cup.
  
  At the prizegiving, Harry and his team-mates were presented with commemorative medals by the victors. The verdict from other players on Harry's debut was positive. Anoushka Seigler, 14, and Rachel Wrey, 15, who play for Heathfield School in Berkshire, both applauded the prince's positioning, but nominated team-mate Harry Tucker as the best England player.
  
  
• Prince Harry scores as England captain
  
  Prince Harry has scored as captain of the English Schools Polo team in his first international match. Despite being unseated from his pony in the first minute of the match
  against France at Dallas Burston Polo ground in Southam, Warwickshire, the teenage Prince gave England the lead five minutes into the match.
  
  Watched by his father, the Prince of Wales, who had touched down by helicopter, the young Royal's pony reared up and sent him tumbling before running off and escaping from the enclosure.
  
  The game was stopped temporarily while Harry took another mount and minutes later he was back in the thick of the action, frequently swinging his stick to send looping passes up-field.
  
  But by the end of the second chukka - the seven and a half minute periods into which the game is divided - England were trailing France by two and a half points to one, the visitors having been given a half point advantage under the handicap system.
  
  John Lloyd of the Schools and Universities Polo Association, said the pony which unseated Harry was not one that he normally rode.
  
  "It just literally reared up and sent him tumbling, but he did not seem to be too badly affected by it," Mr Lloyd said.
  
  Harry, who was listed in the tournament programme as Harry Wales, was also playing for his old school Eton at the National School Polo Tournament, battling against the likes of Epsom, Harrow, Cheltenham and Marlborough for the Schools Polo Challenge Trophy.
  
  
• Defeat for Harry in polo debut
  
  Prince Harry had an early fall but did not appear to be injured Prince Harry made his international polo debut as captain of the England schools team on Sunday - but led his team to defeat against France. The 18-year-old also had a tumble just one minute into the match when his pony reared up, sending him crashing to the ground. But the prince, who was watched by his father, the Prince of Wales, was soon back in action on another pony and minutes later put the English schools team ahead. France, who started the game with a half-point advantage under the handicap system, eventually ran out winners, by four and a half points to three.
  
  John Lloyd, of the Schools and Universities Polo Association, which organised the tournament, said that although Harry was not injured in the fall, the incident may have affected his concentration.
  
  'Unsettled'
  
  Mr Lloyd said: "I think Prince Harry might have been a bit unsettled by that earlier fall. It was unfortunate for that to happen at the beginning of the game, but these things happen. It cannot have helped his concentration. But England quickly recovered and regrouped and certainly gave the French a run for their money. To lose a game when you are making your debut as captain cannot be much fun. Still, he was very resilient."
  
  He said the pony which had unseated Harry was not his normal mount. Mr Lloyd said Harry's promotion to captain on his international debut was a deserved honour.
  
  'Horsemanship'
  
  "A great deal about the game is to do with horses and horsemanship.
  
  "Harry is a very good horseman and that really counts in a game like this. The other thing is, he's a great encourager. If you watch him play, he is constantly encouraging the other players and we feel he is a very good choice for captain." Those watching also said Harry was a worthy captain. Rachel Wrey, who is 15 and plays for Heathfield School in Berkshire, said: "He places himself well. He played a really good game. But I think the French had good horses and placed themselves better."
   
  Prince Harry, who was listed in the tournament programme as Harry Wales, also turned out for his old school, Eton, in the National Schools Polo Challenge Trophy. The competition, involving the likes of Harrow, Epsom, Cheltenham and Marlborough, was held at sun-drenched Dallas Burston polo ground in Southam, Warwickshire.
  
  

June 26, 2003 -

• Captain Harry Leads England
  
  PRINCE Harry is to captain the England schools polo team in an international against France this weekend. Harry, 18, has been picked from hundreds of young players around the country to lead the side on his debut, it was announced yesterday.
  
  A St James’s Palace spokesman said: “He will obviously be delighted.”
  
  Harry, who sometimes plays with Prince Charles and Wills in his dad’s Highgrove team, has been chosen for his aggression and leadership qualities, said team selectors. The match against a France schools team takes place on Sunday at Southam, Warwickshire. Harry is eligible for the game despite having left Eton College after his A-levels two weeks ago.
  
  Harry John Lloyd, from the Schools and Universities Polo Association, said: “He has shown great prowess on the polo field and certainly it is a deserved honour to captain England.”
  
  Mr Lloyd added: “He plays with a handicap of one - very respectable for a youngster of his age and experience.”
  
  The Prince drove to a polo match this week in a flash new motor — a £20,000 Audi A3 that put his brother’s old car to shame.
  
  Only two weeks ago Wills, 21, was in a road rage bust-up in a battered VW Golf. But there were no complaints at Beaufort Polo Club, Gloucs, about Harry’s 120mph motor.
  
  

June 24, 2003 -

• Man Said to Kiss Prince William at Party
  
  A publicity-hungry comedian who gatecrashed Prince William's 21st birthday party, sparking controversy over royal security, said in an interview published Tuesday that he kissed the prince on both cheeks.
  
  "Prince William, who was wearing a yellow and black striped loincloth, was less than 12 feet away from me up on a stage holding a microphone," self-styled "comedy terrorist" Aaron Barschak was quoted as telling The Daily Mail newspaper. "He was taller than I had expected and very nice looking. He saw me and started to giggle," said the comic, who entered the African-themed party disguised as Osama bin Laden (news - web sites) in a peach-colored ball gown and red high heels.
  
  "I climbed up on stage, took the microphone from him and started to sing, 'A beard on my cheek would look quite fundamental' to the tune of Marilyn Monroe's 'Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend.' The entire place erupted into gales of laughter. It was magical," said the 36-year-old Barschak, who was seeking publicity for a standup show at this summer's Edinburgh Festival and describes himself as a royal supporter.
  
  "I stepped forward, gave William a kiss on both cheeks, shouted 'We all love you' and left the stage to rapturous applause. No one manhandled me or dragged me off."
  
  Almost the entire royal family was present at the party at Windsor Castle, including the prince's father, Prince Charles, and his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II (news - web sites). London's Metropolitan Police have apologized to the royal family for allowing Barschak to get past security by pretending he was a drunken guest who was lost. Home Secretary David Blunkett told the House of Commons on Tuesday that the incident "exposed an appalling failure in the security at Windsor Castle which simply should not have happened." Blunkett did not comment on Barschak's claim of kissing William, second in line to the throne, but otherwise — in a statement interrupted by wisecracks and laughter from lawmakers — he confirmed the comedian's account of the incident. Although sharing in some of the humor, Blunkett said: "Actually it's quite serious."
  
  It was the biggest failure of royal security since a man broke into the queen's bedroom at Buckingham Palace in 1982. Barschak told The Daily Mail he climbed an embankment, a tree and several walls to enter the grounds of the medieval castle west of London. Once over the walls, he met a contractor hired to look after power generators and pretended he was a party guest who was drunk and lost — even though he was carrying a rucksack containing his everyday clothes. Barschak said the man offered to walk him back to the party and checked him in at a police lodge, telling officers he found a lost guest.
  
  "I didn't have to say anything," Barschak said. "The policeman immediately started giving me directions. I was astounded that no one asked for my name or any ID, or why, if I had just popped out from the party, was I carrying a bulging rucksack? I could have had anything in it."
  
  Barschak said he was not challenged by staff until after he finished singing for Prince William, left the room and ordered champagne. Barschak, who was unarmed, was arrested on suspicion of burglary, which covers unauthorized entry. He was released Sunday on bail.
  
  
• Another Victory For Three Polo Loving Princes'
  
  There was no sign of any morning-after grogginess when Prince William competed in a charity polo match the day after his 21st birthday party. Wills was joined by his brother Harry and his father as he donned his riding boots and pads to take part in the event. And the birthday boy, who'd been up partying till six in the morning, scored the first goal of the match within minutes of taking the field. His cousin Zara also came along to join the 700 spectators who cheered the three princes on. And the trio were the toast of Beaufort Polo Club after leading their side to a 5-3 victory. They were later presented with a trophy for their efforts, which raised £40,000 for charity. It has been a week of polo triumphs for the royals. On Thursday Charles and Harry also emerged victorious in a match at the Guards' Polo Club in Berkshire. After scoring two goals himself, Charles collected the trophy from the event's guest of honour, his mother the Queen.
  
  Her Majesty looked somewhat overwhelmed, however, as she was presented with two cream teas by a group of Eton schoolboys. As the youngsters offered her two plates of strawberries, cream and scones, the Queen gave a mock look of horror as if to say: "I couldn't possibly eat all that!"
  
  And the polo-loving Princes also scored a publicity coup, by releasing some intimate footage of themselves getting ready for an earlier match. In the video, Wills, Charles and Harry are seen making fun of each other prior to the clash.
  
  "Can you keep up? It's quite a quick game," Prince William jokingly asks his father, adding: "We'll get the stabilisers out and put them on your horse." The characteristically calm Charles responds: "I can still do it at my advanced stage of decrepitude. Don't forget, I'm still a notch above your handicap." Not one to get big-headed, Prince William concedes: "I'm just making a nuisance of myself," to which his dad quips: "That's not too difficult." But it was Wills who had the last laugh, when he quick-wittedly answered: "Well, it's hereditary."
  
  
• The Media Column: 'Prince William and the press are friends again. But for how long?'
  
  By Vincent Graff
  
  The interview that Prince William gave at the weekend- exclusive to all newspapers, as Private Eye used to enjoy saying - was not terribly enlightening. That may have something to do with the fact that his words, distributed by the Press Association, were choreographed by St James's Palace. As the News of the World revealed (in a show of honesty not seen elsewhere), "If William seemed to have all the answers, it was because William and his aides set all the questions."
  
  Consequently, the 21-year-old was able to give away little. On being future king: "It's all about helping people and dedication and loyalty." On the Queen: "She's incredible... one of the biggest role models I have." On the Queen again: "I think my grandmother is incredibly good at managing the different aspects of being sovereign and putting across the monarchy." On the Queen yet again: "What she's done for this country is amazing."
  
  Those words were the latest manifestation of the hands-off pact between the palace and the press. The deal is as simple as it is well known: if the prince provides a few tasty morsels for the newspapers from time to time, reporters and photographers will leave him alone to get on with his studies at St Andrews University. And it appears to suit all sides - not least a press that fears that one day it may encounter a prime minister who is not scared of imposing a privacy law (not this one, obviously). To return to the interview, the pact is the one subject on which the prince did have something interesting to say - though he did not, of course, draw explicit attention to its existence. "They [the media] have been really good about the whole thing, and I am sure they have been very frustrated at the same time," said William of his would-be tormentors. "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." He would be "gutted" if his hard-won freedom from the prying lens disappeared. There have been hitches, of course. In March, the News of the World felt that the royal hand-outs were getting too meagre, and broke its side of the deal by publishing a paparazzi picture of the prince on a shopping trip. Then The Mail on Sunday jumped in, showing William massaging the feet of a female friend - snigger, nudge - at a rugby tournament. Those breaches led to the predictable official complaints and, probably, the recent rounds of interviews and video footage showing what a normal kinda guy the heir to the heir to the throne is. So, everyone is friends again. But for how long? William will leave university in two years. He will be 23 years old, and the palace will have to come up with a new excuse as to why he should be left alone. Will it be able to conjure one up? I doubt it.
  
  At the moment, the tabloids are not making waves. When I spoke about William with Clive Goodman, the News of the World's royal editor, on LBC 97.3 at the weekend, he said: "You can't speculate on what will happen in two years' time. It depends entirely on what he does." He added that newspapers have "moved on" from the days when they jumped all over Diana, Princess of Wales. "I think you are getting trapped in a bit of an Eighties time warp," he said. We shall see.
  
  * So Fox News, the gung-ho, US-based news channel owned by Rupert Murdoch, is not biased. We know this because the Independent Television Commission (ITC) has rejected complaints that the station, available over here on Sky Digital, broke the ITC programme code, which insists on "due impartiality" in matters of political controversy. "Due" apparently means "adequate or appropriate" - and Fox's take on events is appropriate, in the sense that it comes from abroad, where they do things differently. Maybe you have missed Fox News. If, for example, you were out of the house on the million-strong anti-war march in London in February, you won't have seen the way it reported what was arguably the biggest demonstration the capital had ever seen. Its headline tells you all you need to know: "March Madness". This is the news channel whose presenter Bill O'Reilly told viewers that America should go in and "splatter" the Iraqis. Even some of the people from our own Sky News are shocked by Fox - and they helped to set the channel up. Yet I am pleased that the ITC did not pull the plug on Fox. I think we are strong enough to take Rupert's amusing medicine. Now that David Brent has gone, the men and women from Fox News are the funniest people on television.
  
  
• Queen thought it was Harry
  
  THE chortling Queen believed that nutter Barschak was PRINCE HARRY in disguise. She thought he was her grandson the moment she saw his outrageous outfit, an insider at William’s 21st birthday bash revealed. As the bearded Bin Laden figure in a dress grabbed the microphone from Wills, the Queen turned to Prince Philip and chuckled: “That will be Harry.”
  
  The source said: “Her Majesty was tickled pink when he ran on stage. She immediately thought it was Harry — because that’s just the sort of stunt he would try and pull off.”
  
  Tittering toffs allowed Barschak to carry on hectoring them for nearly a minute.
  
  The insider said: “The penny started to drop when he began to shout out how much his tickets were for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.”
  
  Last night, there were calls for his act — Osama Likes It Hot — to be axed from the festival. Phil Gallie, a Tory Member of the Scottish Parliament, said: “He shouldn’t be allowed to benefit from this. The festival organisers should make an agreement with Mr Barschak that he can perform, but not use the publicity he has gained.”
  
  Fringe director Paul Gudgin said: “We obviously don’t condone a stunt like this if it threatens public safety or breaks the law. But the point of the Fringe is that absolutely anyone can perform without any constraints, control or censorship imposed by us.”
  
  A spokesman for the festival added: “We cannot take responsibility for what our acts do outside the Festival. It is a security problem, not an artistic one.”
  
  Yesterday it was revealed that Barschak terrified guests at a posh modern art show when he threw a pot of red emulsion at an exhibitor’s head. Artist Jake Chapman was splattered even though it missed. Graphic designer Antonia Davis — among 20 guests at the Modern Art Oxford Museum — said: “It was terrifying.”
  
  

June 23, 2003 -

• HE COULD HAVE WIPED OUT THE ROYAL FAMILY
  
  THE intruder who stormed Prince William's 21st birthday party could have wiped out the Royal Family if he had been a suicide bomber, shocked Palace insiders said last night. The only senior royal absent was Prince Edward, who is in Canada. A source said: "If this had been a terrorist attack, our monarch would now be Edward IX." Last night Wills was said to be "absolutely livid" that the outrageous hoaxer cheated massive security. Posing as Osama bin Laden and dressed in a peach satin gown, fake beard, turban, wig, lipstick and red shoes, "comedy terrorist" Aaron Barschak leaped on stage at Windsor Castle and grabbed a microphone from Wills' hands. The Queen, Prince Philip, Prince Charles, Prince Andrew and daughters Beatrice and Eugenie, Princess Anne, Prince Harry and pregnant Sophie Wessex were only feet away.
  
  But Barschak, 36, was able to "rant and rave nonsense" for nearly a minute before being bundled off. One palace official said: "If this man had been a suicide bomber, he could have wiped out the monarchy. It's unbelievable he managed to get into the grounds of the castle and diabolical he got into the party. This is going to the very top."
  
  The alarm was raised by Wills. Alone among the 300 guests, who included Camilla Parker Bowles, he knew Barschak was not part of the entertainment and that a security nightmare was unfolding. Last night it emerged that royal protection officers missed five chances to stop eccentric Barschak. As Home Secretary David Blunkett demanded a full investigation, courtiers said it was the worst breach of royal security for 20 years. William tried to lighten the mood after the scare was over by telling guests: "I didn't know my brother could do an accent like that."
  
  But an insider said: "He's absolutely livid with security staff."
  
  Barschak was arrested and handcuffed. When he was driven away from the castle an hour later he partly covered his face with a copy of the book Osama bin Laden: The Man Who Declared War on America. After being held overnight in Thames Valley police cells he was driven back to the castle at 5pm yesterday to point out the route he took to evade security checks. Sitting in the back seat, he waved regally at waiting tourists. Soon afterwards he was freed on bail, telling his father Fred on his mobile phone: "I've been discharged. I'll be happy when it's all over."
  
  Later Fred, 72 - the only member of his family to survive the Nazi holocaust - told reporters: "He's in a hotel and won't be back tonight. He's in a terrific mood. I'll probably see you all tomorrow."
  
  Earlier yesterday an exhausted-looking Wills was surrounded by huge security as he joined Charles and Harry in a polo match at the Beaufort Club, in Westonbirt, Glos. The Queen looked grim as she drove to church at Windsor. Asked about her reaction, a source said: "What you might expect. Windsor Castle is her home. But this was also William's big night and it could have been ruined." Wills's £500,000 Africa-themed birthday party was held in historic St George's Hall, one of the castle's most magnificent central rooms. Although there are many entrances to the castle, guests could only get in by producing numbered invitations and car park passes featuring the letter W. At 8pm on Saturday night, as partygoers in fancy dress were arriving, outrageously dressed Barschak paraded himself outside the castle's King Henry VIII gates. As astonished onlookers and uniformed police watched, he chanted: "Happy Birthday. Out of Africa, I'm out of this world."
  
  Then, lifting up his gown to reveal another wig attached to a G-string, he said: "Ladies and gentleman, I give you the hair, the underbelly." He added "July 31 to August 16, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the greatest show you'll ever see", repeating the word "Osama".
  
  The crowd laughed him off and Barschak, from Golders Green, North London, fled after being approached by a policeman who he greeted with the words "Hello, darling". Six hours earlier, the Queen's bodyguards were alerted to a suspicious bearded man seen wandering at the back of the castle. He was spoken to by police who said he was "just a crank". It is not known if the man was Barschak. Barschak sensationally reappeared as Wills's party was in full swing just before 11.30pm. One source said: "It was all very light-hearted. William was dressed Tarzan-like in a loincloth with a bare chest. It was a proper sit-down meal and, as it finished, William stood up on stage to speak. That's when this man grabbed the microphone. People applauded. They thought he was part of the entertainment. He kept repeating something like 'You'll all see me on Monday'."
  
  The source said it was William's look of alarm that prompted a police protection officer and castle staff to storm the stage and bundle Barschak away. He was driven off in a police van just over an hour later. Immediately after the incident dozens of extra police were drafted in. Two officers even sat for the rest of the night in bushes close to one of the key entrances to the castle. Yesterday armed police and Special Branch officers patrolled the castle. Among guests at the party were Anne's husband Tim Laurence, her daughter Zara, Earl Spencer and ex-King Constantine of Greece. Celebrities included Emma Thompson, Rowan Atkinson and Tara Palmer Tomkinson. At William's request, rooms were decorated with scenes of the African bush complete with a tribal mask, animal skins and heads of wild animals. Many guests wore African-style fancy dress choosing leopard skin prints, feathers and grass skirts. The Queen wore a Swaziland outfit and Camilla sported a diamond tiara with red feathers. Some guests left shortly after Barschak was arrested. But nightbird William and friends partied until 4am. More than 110 guests stayed overnight.
  
  
• BEYOND THE CRINGE
  
  WILLIAM THE SECURITY BLUNDER: Off-the-wall comedian who has pulled off the biggest publicity stunt in royal history. IT WAS one of the biggest-ever publicity stunts for any show, anywhere. That is how experts view the antics of little-known stand-up comedian Aaron Alexanda Barschak, 36. But despite his impromptu appearance at Windsor Castle during Prince William's birthday party, Edinburgh Fringe bosses Last night rejected calls for his show to be banned. He is still due to appear at the Smirnoff Underbelly venue in the city's Cowgate in August despite the outrage over his publicity stunt. The stand-up stars in a show Osama Likes It Hot, in which he wears a beard and pink dress and describes himself as the "Traniban leader".
  
  Fringe spokesman Martin Reynolds said: "We do not impose constraints on people who want to appear at the Fringe but we do not condone such a stunt which breaks the law. I can imagine there will be outrage at what he did but we do not want to act as censors. At the end of the day it is up to the public to decide and if they feel strongly over what he did they won't buy tickets for his show. But I have to say, as stunts go, this is is one of the most ambitious ever and even beats Jim Rose's Circus when he led a herd of sheep down the Royal Mile."
  
  But MSP Phil Gallie, Tory party constitutional affairs spokesman, said Barschak should be banned from the Fringe for disrupting Prince William's 21st birthday party. He said: "If this was some kind of publicity stunt for this man's comedy act then his show should be banned. He should not be allowed to profit from causing such a security breach, even if it was just for a laugh."
  
  Barschak, known as a serial disruptor of public events, was last night still being quizzed by police. He calls himself The Comedy Terrorist, is a professional comedian and lives in Dulwich, south- east London. He received a "mixed reaction" from his audience when he performed as an al- Qaeda terrorist. And he was notorious on the comedy circuit for gatecrashing fellow comics' shows, it is claimed.
  
  Promoter Martin Mullaney, who booked the comic for a show in Birmingham, recalled: "He had a reputation on the comedy circuit for gatecrashing comedy clubs, walking on stage and holding the audience hostage. Some other promoters weren't too happy about him. He had a very interesting background and that was why we wanted to see him for ourselves."
  
  Barschak recently ambushed London Mayor Ken Livingstone on stage at an anti-war rally in Hyde Park. He embarrassed comedian Eddie Izzard by hijacking his performance at a tribute show in memory of comedy legend Spike Milligan. Last night Barschak's father, Fred, 72, said he was shocked by the incident, but insisted his son would never harm anyone. Mr Barschak, a property developer from Kilburn, north London, said his son would have been trying to publicise his act.
  
  He said: "I can believe it was him. He would not have been trying to harm anyone, not at all. He is actually not at all anti-royal. He is a professional stand-up comedian who is desperate to be a serious actor."
  
  His other "victims" have included Terry Jones and Graham Norton.
  
  A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "At 11.20pm on Saturday, police arrested a man inside Windsor Castle. A thorough review into the circumstances is underway."
  
  
• WILL SCARE IS LATEST IN LONG LINE
  
  THE gatecrasher who caused havoc at Prince William's party is the latest in a long line of intruders to embarrass royal security. The most serious breach came in March 1982 when Michael Fagan broke into the Queen's bedroom at Buckingham Palace. She woke to find him sitting on her bed and the pair allegedly chatted for half an hour before Fagan, then 30, was arrested. He was later jailed.
  
  Another scare came on March 20, 1974, when Ian Ball tried to kidnap Princess Anne. The gunman stopped his car in front of her limousine just yards from Buckingham Palace and brandished a pistol at the driver and bodyguard. But the kidnap bid was thwarted when Anne's then husband, Captain Mark Phillips, grabbed her and slammed the car door.
  
  In 1979, Prince Philip's uncle Lord Mountbatten was killed when an INLA bomb blew apart his boat in Sligo, Ireland. Mountbatten's grandson Nicholas Brabourne, 14, and a boat boy were also killed. Bomber Thomas McMahon was jailed.
  
  In 1981, Marcus Sarjeant fired six blank shots at the Queen during Trooping of the Colour. Millions of TV viewers watched as the Queen struggled to control her horse as the 17- year-old was tackled by police and soldiers. Sarjeant served more than three years in prison for treason.
  
  Earlier this year, Prince Charles' suffered a break-in at his Highgrove estate. Five drunken building workers claimed they entered the grounds unchallenged and never saw a security guard. Charles' worst fright came when a man dashed towards him firing a starting pistol. The student, 23, fired two shots at an open-air event in Sydney in 1984 in a bid to publicise the plight of the Cambodian boat people. One of the most bizarre scares involved a naked paraglider.
  
  American James Miller was fined £200 and deported after landing on the roof of Buckingham Palace on February 5, 1994.
  
  A French tourist was arrested after jumping over the Palace railings in 1985. The man claimed he was only trying to get a better view of the Changing of the Guard ceremony and was later freed by police.
  
  In 1996, self-proclaimed Russian spy Roland Kubosaka, 34, was bound over to keep the peace for 12 months after also climbing the railings. In June that year, John Gillard tried to get into the palace but was tackled by police in the forecourt. The student drove 200 miles from his Wakefield home before ramming the gates at 50mph, ripping one of the two-and-a-half tonne gates off its hinges. The 21-year-old was later detained under the Mental Health Act.
  
  In 2000, a knifeman with a hoax bomb was arrested during the Queen's tour of Australia. Jobless Gregory Pailthorpe, 39, claimed he was trying to protect the Queen, not harm her. But police found an eight-inch kitchen knife tied to his leg and he was carrying a backpack containing batteries, wires and electrical tape.
  
  
• WILLS PLAYS THE FIELD AFTER BASH
  
  PRINCE William turned out for a post-birthday polo match yesterday and scored within seconds of taking the field. William looked relaxed and refreshed despite a late night at his 21st birthday party at Windsor Castle. His arrival was a pleasant surprise for the crowd of up to 700 spectators at the Beaufort Polo Club near Tetbury, Gloucestershire. William arrived with Prince Charles shortly before 4pm. Father and son rode on to the polo field for a warm- up and were joined by Harry.
  
  French tourist Nadia Kohler, 27, said: "Seeing all three together, especially after last night, was a good surprise."
  
  
• I BROKE IN BUT THEY STILL HAVEN'T LEARNED
  
  PALACE intruder Michael Fagan spoke of his shock yesterday at the latest royal security lapse and said: "Will they ever learn?" He broke into Buckingham Palace in July 1982 and was found sitting on the Queen's bed, chatting to her. The Queen remained calm and talked quietly to him until police and security staff arrived. A Home Office report blamed glaring errors by the Royal Protection Squad for allowing Fagan to climb in through a window left open by a maid.
  
  Now in his 50s, he said: "Even all this time after my escapade, I wonder if the police have got their act together yet. I just wanted an audience with the Queen. You used to be able to request one with the monarch, and I would still like one. But in this day and age with all the terrorism going about, you do have to wonder what is going on." Father-of-six Fagan was speaking at the council tower-block home in Islington, North London, where he lives with his girlfriend.
  
  When he was discovered in the Queen's bedroom, it was revealed it was the second time he had broken into the palace. He was charged with stealing a bottle of wine, but was found not guilty at an Old Bailey trial. Fagan was later held under the Mental Health Act and was sent to Ashworth secure hospital.
  
  Since his release, he has had run-ins with the law, but he insists: "I have finally got my own act cleaned up. I hardly ever mention the palace and that I am that Michael Fagan. I have never really spilled the beans about what went on in the Queen's bedroom and I have no intention of doing so. I just want to get on with my life now."
  
  
• I gave cops kick up the a***
  
  COMIC Aaron Barschak bragged to The Sun last night about dodging guards to gatecrash Prince William’s 21st — and insisted he had no regrets.
  
  Barschak, 36, said: “I would rather security gets a big kick up the a*** as a result of my actions than the whole thing just goes up in smoke. It was unbelievably simple. I’m amazed I got in. Royal security is not at all what I expected. But Prince William is a lovely boy."
  
  He spoke as security around William and brother Harry at a polo match was tightened in response to the Windsor Castle stunt. Barschak’s parents insisted he was just a harmless showbiz wannabe looking for publicity. And yesterday the comic was still joking after a night in the cells. He answered his mobile phone — pretending to be the hook-handed militant Muslim cleric Abu Hamza.
  
  Imitating Hamza’s accent, Barschak said: “I am a security consultant now. I’m with the police. I have to show them how I got in.”
  
  Cops drove him back to Windsor Castle, where he pointed out to Royal Protection Squad detectives the route he took to evade security. As he was driven away, cheeky Barschak gave watching tourists a wave in the style of the Queen. His dad Fred, 72, revealed that he warned publicity hunter Barschak to stay away from the Royal Family. But he insisted his son would never have harmed them. He said Barschak’s motive was to promote a stage character he had invented, “The Comedy Terrorist”.
  
  Fred went on: “I had no idea he was going to do what he did. He is a zany character with a zany sense of humour. But he is not a nutter. He is not a member of a dangerous organisation. There was no malevolence. He probably went too far. But he did not assault anyone. He would never harm someone in a million years.”
  
  Speaking at his North London home, Fred even suggested Barschak may have thought Ali G fan Wills would enjoy his antics.
  
  He said: “My son used to impersonate Ali G and is the best Ali G apart from Ali G himself.”
  
  Fred said Barschak was spurred on by his desire to make it big at the Edinburgh Festival in August. Barschak’s mum Miriam, of Kilburn, North West London, said: “He’s a comedian and probably did it all for the publicity. My son would never have harmed the Prince or any of his guests. He’s not a weirdo, he’s not dangerous.”
  
  Barschak’s neighbour in Golders Green North West London, said he would have easily charmed his way into the Royal party. Teacher Jill Ducasse, 42, said: “This didn’t surprise me at all. He’s an extremely talented, ambitious young guy. And he’s harmless.
  
  “He wanted his 15 minutes of fame. In showbiz any publicity is good publicity. It was all harmless fun. He’s not at all threatening.”
  
  Barschak lives alone in a ground-floor flat in a run-down semi. Mum-of-two Jill said: “He’s been here nearly two years. My children love him. They call him the funny man. He’s an accomplished artist who is determined to get on. He does gigs at a local comedy club. I’m sure William saw the funny side. Aaron might have gone into Windsor Castle uninvited but it was all for a bit of fun.”
  
  Burschak bragged to race-goers at Ascot last week that he was going to make himself “very famous”. Office girl Kelly Weeks, from Bristol, said he was at Ladies’ Day in a peach evening dress and black wig. He told her: “I am going to get myself noticed.” Kelly said: “Everyone was gawping. He loved every minute. It was the same dress he wore at Windsor.”
  
  Barschak has an entry on the Friends Reunited website which reveals the bizarre world he lives in. On the site, in which old schoolpals can contact each other, he claims to have lived in the Amazon jungle after leaving City of London school in 1984. Barschak says he took part in a hunt for a giant ground sloth and had a knife fight with a drugs gang.
  
  One friend said: “It’s rubbish. But that’s Aaron, always playing the fool. He just wants to have a laugh.”
  
  Barschak enrolled at New York’s Neighbourhood School of Theatre. He played in King Lear at the National Theatre and writes poetry. He is is currently writing a film script with his sister Tamaraa, a producer for Channel 4. Meanwhile, William looked relaxed as he played polo the day after his birthday bash with Prince Charles and Prince Harry. He scored within seconds of taking the field near Tetbury, Gloucs. Game for a laugh ... William and Harry see the funny side of things at Beaufort Polo club yesterday. His arrival was also a pleasant surprise for the crowd of up to 700 spectators at the Beaufort Polo Club. William arrived with Charles shortly before 4pm. Father and son rode on to the polo field for a brief pre-match warm up — and were immediately joined by Prince Harry.
  
  
• Gatecrasher's royal comedy of terrors
  
  PERHAPS it should have struck them as obvious that a man resembling Osama bin Laden in a pink party frock would pose a slight security risk to guests arriving for the royal soiree.
  
  Early on Saturday evening, Aaron Barschak, a self-styled "comedy terrorist" who is notorious for gate-crashing public events, was lurking outside Windsor Castle in a dress, turban, sunglasses and false beards as guests arrived for Prince William's much-publicised 21st birthday party.
  
  The Queen, the Prince of Wales and the majority of the royal family had donned fancy dress, along with about 300 other invited guests, in keeping with the Out of Africa theme for the event.
  
  Prince William, who is teaching himself Swahili and has been on safari in Africa on several occasions, chose the costume party to celebrate his birthday in an effort to avoid a "sterile" official function. In at least one other sense, he succeeded.
  
  As party-goers arrived, Barschak shouted to reporters and royal watchers: "Happy birthday. Out of Africa, I'm out of this world." Publicising his performances at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, scheduled for August, he then hiked up the front of his dress to reveal a false beard, similar to the one on his chin, covering his genitals, and declared: "The real hair to the throne." He was then led away by a policeman and wandered off towards Windsor town centre, away from the castle.
  
  However, he is believed to have returned at about 11.20pm, and slipped past tight security at the castle before stumbling on stage as Prince William was about to make a speech thanking Prince Charles and the Queen for his coming-of-age party.
  
  Reports suggest the intruder then grabbed the microphone and started shouting before security guards and police pulled him away and escorted him from the Great Hall. As he was led off, he reportedly shouted: "You can see me next Monday."
  
  Guests were initially thought to have believed the man was part of the entertainment. Prince William later tried to lighten the mood by reclaiming the microphone and joking: "I didn't know my brother could do an accent like that."
  
  Police would not confirm the intruder's identity, but said a 36-year- old man from London had been arrested on suspicion of burglary, which covers unauthorised entering of premises. However, 72-year-old Fred Barschak said he recognised his son as the man being led away by police after the incident. Mr Barschak, a property developer from Kilburn, north London, emphasised that his son would not have intended to harm anyone, but was probably just trying to publicise his act at the Fringe.
  
  He said: "I can believe it was him. He would not have been trying to harm anyone. He is actually not at all anti-royal. "He is a professional stand-up comedian ... He is a zany character with a zany sense of humour."
  
  Mr Barschak said he had no idea that his son planned to storm Prince William's birthday party, adding: "He does not tell me everything. He dresses up as Osama bin Laden, but I have to stress he would not harm anyone. I have not had it confirmed which police station he is being held at, but I'm sure I may have to post bail at some stage."
  
  Later last night, his son was released and bailed to return to a London police station on a date next month, pending further inquiries.
  
  
• What a difference a day makes
  
  Prince William looked more than a little jaded yesterday as he turned out to play polo after his 21st birthday party at Windsor Castle.
  
  The Prince, who received a £100,000 Argentinian polo pony as a present from his father, managed to score twice at the Beaufort Polo Club, Gloucestershire.
  
  He was applauded as he arrived for the game with the Prince of Wales, Prince Harry and a friend, Luke Tomlinson, and there were shouts of "Happy Birthday" from the 1,000-strong crowd, which he acknowledged with a smile.
  
  But evidence of a late night was clear as he rubbed his eyes several times, and by the end of the match he did not look at his fittest.
  
  Just hours earlier he had been partying hard at his "Out of Africa" themed party. And everyone, it seemed, entered into the spirit with fancy dress - some more so than others. There were loincloths and grass skirts, feathers and beads, and plenty of khaki. Prince William, who chose the theme himself, favoured the minimalist approach and appeared bare-chested in a loincloth. The Queen, who cannot often in her long reign have consented to wear fancy dress, is understood to have selected a regal outfit from Swaziland.
  
  Camilla Parker Bowles managed elegance in a feather and bead headdress that matched her red and blue tribal style costume. Prince Charles is understood to have changed out of the safe linen jacket that he wore to drive to Windsor and to have slipped into a striped kaftan. The Countess of Wessex sported a light blue turban with matching outfit. Some were more daring than others. The Duchess of Gloucester, for example, sparkled the night away in a silver spangling Cleopatra- style wig. While Lady Penny Romsey, Prince Philip's carriage-driving partner, chose a striking ocelot-print outfit with feline mask.
  
  Among the 300 invited guests were Earl Spencer, brother of Diana, Princess of Wales, and his wife Caroline. The couple came as the characters played by Robert Redford and Meryl Streep in the film that gave the party its theme: the earl in light coloured safari suit, and his wife in matching dress and hat. The linen-suited colonial look was a favourite among many of the men, including the comedian Rowan Atkinson, while animal and snakeskin prints were popular with many of the women. Tara Palmer-Tomkinson wore an eye-catching African headdress. The Princess Royal and her husband, Commodore Tim Laurence, are understood to have chosen matching khaki hunters' outfits.
  
  Some of the younger guests were less restrained. There were medicine men and witch doctors; one guest appeared as a banana and another in full Lion King costume with a gold crown atop his mane. Some of the Prince's university friends arrived at the castle in a white minibus with a Scottish flag at the front and colourful balloons on the back. A big hand-painted sign on one side read "Happy Birthday Will", and on the other side was the banner "St Andrews on Safari".
  
  Prince William had flown in the Botswanan band Shakarimba, and even joined in playing with the six-piece combo - having taken the precaution of a brief rehearsal with them before the event. The Prince had first heard of the band while he was on holiday in Botswana, where they had been encouraged and nurtured by Steve Harpt, the American headmaster of their small bush school. Some of the proceeds from the sale of the formal portraits of the Prince taken by Mario Testino are to go to the school Mr Harpt runs for destitute and orphaned children. Last night St James's Palace would not confirm reports that Prince Charles had bought his son the Argentinian polo pony as a 21st birthday gift.
  
  
• Wills Laughs Off 'Comedy Attack' But Queen Wants Answer
  
  Prince William welcomed 300 guests – and one bearded gatecrasher – to his 21st birthday bash at Windsor Castle on Saturday. Wills was giving a thank-you speech when the uninvited partygoer, dressed in a dress, turban and fake beard, seized the microphone and began ranting at the revellers. A major review of royal security has been ordered after the incident, in which self-styled alternative comedian Aaron Barschak managed to slip past police and gain entry to the year's most exclusive party. He was quickly bundled away by royal protection officers, and quick-witted Wills laughed off the intrusion, saying: "I didn't know my brother could do an accent like that."
  
  But the Queen is said to have been very upset that security was breached at the celebration, which was attended by almost every senior member of the Royal Family. Prince Charles was also deeply concerned and Home Secretary David Blunkett has demanded an investigation. The fact that the intruder described himself as a "comedy terrorist" only served to emphasise Her Majesty's concerns. The 36-year-old comic apparently meant no harm, and was simply seeking publicity as he wants to become a serious actor, but the question of how he managed to get so close to the future Kings will have to be answered. Apparently he had been spotted earlier in the day near the private entrance to the castle, but police ordered him to move on. He then approached a works entrance, and managed to talk his way past the officer who was standing guard.
  
  "Someone loosely connected to the castle helped him to get in," said a source at Scotland Yard. "He talked to the royalty protection officer and persuaded him that Barschak should be allowed in. It may seem hard to believe but the security system was let down by one of our own people who didn't do their job properly."
  
  The Out Of Africa-themed celebration soon got back into full swing, however, and many guests stayed until dawn. Barschak, meanwhile, has been released on bail and the police officer who granted him entry may face disciplinary action.
  
  
• Police apologise after William's party is gatecrashed
  
  The Scotland Yard commissioner, Sir John Stevens, apologised to the royal family today for the "appalling" breach of security which allowed intruder Aaron Barschak to gain access to Prince William's 21st birthday party at Windsor Castle. Mr Barschak, 36, who was dressed as Osama bin Laden, got in by scaling an embankment, climbing a tree, jumping on to a wall and reaching a terrace. The Metropolitan police assistant commissioner, David Veness, said: "He was challenged by a contractor and escorted to a police point. He gave what appeared to be a credible story and was allowed into the area of the castle where the party was taking place."
  
  In a prepared statement, Mr Veness said: "The events at Windsor Castle are wholly unacceptable and a matter of great regret.
  
  "The commissioner has tendered apologies to the royal family for the appalling breach of security at Windsor Castle on Saturday evening. This seems to have been an operational failure, which should not have happened whatever the circumstances."
  
  An initial report on the events of Saturday evening will be delivered to the home secretary today, he said. Scotland Yard has set up an independent inquiry led by Commander Frank Armstrong of the City of London police, an expert on protection. Michael Fagan, who broke into the Queen's bedroom at Buckingham Palace in 1982, said the latest incident was "frightening". He told ITV News: "I think it's terrible. You know, their lives are at risk. I did intrude and I was a bit embarrassed by it, but the first time I was actually stopped was when I went into the Queen's room. This latest one is frightening."
  
  
• Intruder's publicity stunt aims at Fringe benefit
  
  Aaron Barschak's gate-crashing of Prince William's twenty-first will do no harm to ticket sales for his Edinburgh Fringe Festival show throughout August. Barschak, 36, a stand-up comedian, has a history of gatecrashing public events and shows. He already is banned from every football ground in the country after persistent pitch invasions.
  
  Prince William joins a growing list of targets for the controversial comedian, including Ken Livingstone, mayor of London, Graham Norton, the TV presenter, and Monty Python's Terry Jones.
  
  Barschak's father, Fred, 72, said yesterday that his son took A- levels at the City of London School before travelling to Bolivia, where he imported Western pop music records. From Bolivia, he went to New York to study acting. Having ditched ambitions to be a serious actor, he joined the London comedy circuit, apparently entertaining audiences with his impressions of, among others, Ali G and Gregory Peck. Barschak, of Dulwich, south-east London, appeared before Oxford magistrates earlier this month charged with criminal damage after allegedly throwing paint over artwork by Jake and Dinos Chapman, the Turner Prize nominees.
  
  
• Blair says sorry as Osama madman evades 50 cops to crash Wills bash
  
  TONY Blair will personally apologise to the Queen over the nut who hijacked Prince William’s 21st birthday party disguised as Osama Bin Laden. Home Secretary David Blunkett last night ordered an urgent probe into how Aaron Barschak beat a £2million security system to get on stage and grab the mike from Wills. Incredibly, Barschak — wearing a peach ball gown and red women’s shoes — got past FIFTY cops at Windsor Castle, many of them armed. And he managed to evade DOZENS of CCTV cameras, night-vision surveillance equipment and hidden pressure pads that set off alarms if trodden on. Last night it emerged Barschak, 36, a stand-up comic, conned his way inside the castle through a rear tradesman’s entrance manned by Royalty protection officers. He convinced a cop he was part of the entertainment, then made his way to to the Great Hall where William was thanking the Queen and Prince Charles for the jungle-theme fancy dress party. Barschak, in a bushy false beard, grabbed the microphone from William and yelled in a fake Arab accent that his name was Osama.
  
  The Queen and Prince Philip laughed, thinking it was part of the fun. Minders only realised something was wrong as Wills, dressed as Tarzan in a loincloth, began signalling. Royal bodyguard Detective Sergeant Iuean Evans pushed Barschak away from William as security staff rushed to help.
  
  Barschak, who calls himself a “comedy terrorist,” yesterday branded security a joke. The Sun spoke to him as he was being driven back to the castle by cops to show them how he got in.
  
  He quipped: “I am a security consultant now.” Mr Blair will say sorry to the Queen at their weekly audience tomorrow.
  
  The City of London police will lead the inquiry. But Mr Blunkett last night demanded an interim report on his desk by 9am today. Barschak was freed on bail last night. Police said he was unlikely to be charged.
  
  
• Earl cops blame
  
  THE top cop facing the blame over the Windsor security farce is an old Etonian toff with the title of 7th Earl of Rosslyn. The officer, who serves as Commander Peter Loughborough, was hand-picked by Met chief Sir John Stevens to head Royalty Protection because of his background. He is in charge of more than 400 officers and had overall responsibility for security at William’s party. Now he will have to give evidence to the inquiry about the blunder. Cmdr Loughborough, 44, is listed in nobs’ bible Debrett’s by his full name as Peter St Clair-Erskine and gives his hobbies as opera. piano and church. He is the only policeman to belong to posh White’s club in St James’s and speaks in the House of Lords. One of Cmdr Loughborough’s predecessors, Cmdr Michael Trestrail, lost his job after Michael Fagan broke into Buckingham Palace in 1982.
  
  

June 22, 2003 -

• It's not true that I don't want to be King, says William
  
  Prince William used his 21st birthday yesterday to insist that he is determined to fulfil his duty as King and dismissed reports that he would prefer not to have to accede to the throne. The Prince sent out a clear message that he sees himself as the future monarch, although he admitted that he would take on the role out of a sense of responsibility rather than desire.
  
  "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, those stories about me not wanting to be King are all wrong. It's a role 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."
  
  Prince William, who had his "coming of age" party at Windsor Castle last night, will not carry out regular official duties until he graduates from St Andrews University in two years. He said that he was already addressing his future, with the Queen providing much of 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," he said. "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 - 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."
  
  Prince William said it was difficult to predict how the institution of monarchy would change in the future. "Modernisation is quite a strong word to use with the monarchy because it's something that's been around for many hundreds of years, But I think it's important that people feel the monarchy can keep up with them and is relevant to their lives."
  
  He praised the Queen for her ability to balance the requirements of her role with her own personality.
  
  "I think my grandmother is incredibly good at managing the different aspects of being sovereign and putting across the monarchy," he said. 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. 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 on his 21st birthday
  
  PRINCE William has spoken of his destiny to become King and model a reign on his grandmother the Queen. But Wills, giving a fascinating insight into his life in an interview to celebrate his 21st birthday yesterday, stayed strangely silent over his father Prince Charles's future as sovereign. And the omission raises fresh concerns about the line of succession—it has been rumoured Charles does not want the throne. Speaking about his own future Wills said the monarchy is "something I was born to. It is my destiny. All these questions about do you want to be King? It's not a question of wanting to be. 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, 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...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 then heaped praise on his grandmother for her achievements as Queen.
  
  He went on: "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. I think my grandmother is incredibly good at managing the different aspects of being sovereign. 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. 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 and she's just so experienced. What she's done for this country is amazing."
  
  But William made it plain that he has no intention of beginning a life of royal duty yet.
  
  He said: "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."
  
  William also revealed he does not have a steady girlfriend...despite being Britain's most eligible bachelor.
  
  He said: "If I fancy a girl and I really like her and she fancies me back, which is rare, I ask her out. I don't have a steady girlfriend. Only the mad girls chase me, I think." Then he joked: "No, I've never been aware of anyone chasing me, but if there were, could they please leave their phone number?"
  
  William—pictured in a portrait by mother Diana's favourite photographer Mario Testino—was also very down-to-earth about his image.
  
  He said: "My own portrayal has been something that I hope people take with a pinch of salt. I don't want to be anything I'm not...I just want to come across as me."
  
  
• Willy Wonga - Charles gives Wills £100,000 pony
  
  PRINCE William has been given a £100,000 polo pony as a 21st birthday present from his father. The Argentinian horse was so expensive Prince Charles had to release funds from his Duchy of Cornwall income to pay for it.
  
  A family friend said: "William is very lucky. This is one of the finest animals money can buy."
  
  Polo-mad William is understood to be stunned by his father's generosity. But he asked other family and close friends, attending his Out Of Africa birthday bash at Windsor Castle last night, to spend a maximum of £50 on him.
  
  The friend added: "Let's face it, he really is the man who has everything. He'd prefer the presents to be clever, not lavish."
  
  William did ask his father for one gift—a high-powered motorcycle. William wanted a 750cc off-roader or the new Triumph 600cc Daytona. But Prince Charles is terrified of the danger. Now another relative may buy William a less-powerful bike as a compromise. Caring William used his party to bring together his parents' two warring families. It is the first time the Windsors and Spencers have been in the same room since Diana's funeral nearly six years ago. William hopes it will finally heal the rift between the two households. Among the guests were Diana's brother Earl Spencer and sisters Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Lady Jane Fellowes. It is understood William also invited his gran Frances Shand-Kydd.
  
  A family friend said: "It is William's very strong wish that both families can forget the past and move on. He has."
  
  William chose the 300-strong guest list himself helped only by personal assistant Helen ‘Hels' Asprey, a member of the jewellery dynasty. All the girls close to him in his teenage years were invited. Arabella Musgrave, who romanced William before he went to St Andrews University in Scotland, was there. Also asked were his college flatmate Kate Middleton, Bryony Daniels, Davina Duckworth-Chad, Emilia D'Erlanger and blonde Natalie Hicks-Lobbecke. And star guest was Jecca Craig, 21, the girl William met while on a gap-year trip to Kenya in 2001. Last week the News of the World revealed reports that they had become unofficially engaged after pledging their love. William has dampened any talk of romance with Jecca, who flew in specially for the party. But he recently spent a holiday with her on his father's Birkhall Scottish estate.
  
  A pal said: "He still wears the friendship bracelets Jecca gave him. She is very much a part of his life."
  
  Also at the party were student model Lady Iona Douglas-Home, 23, and her sister Lady Mary, 21. Brother Harry was there with stockbroker's daughter Laura Gerard-Leigh, 18, who he has been dating for three months. Guests at the party had been divided into two groups. The first arrived at 7.30pm and left straight after the party. But closer friends were asked to arrive earlier in the afternoon and stay as the Queen's guest at Windsor Castle overnight. As well as the closest members of the family, Prince Charles's consort Camilla Parker Bowles was there with children Tom and Laura. Fergie was not invited but Prince Andrew took daughters Beatrice and Eugenie. Princess Anne's daughter Zara brought her jockey boyfriend Richard Johnson, but her brother Peter, for once, had no date. William did not forget his closest friends. Long-standing royal pals Hugh and Emilie Van Cutsem's four sons were there as were his polo-playing Gloucestershire neighbours Luke, Mark and Emma Tomlinson. There was even an invitation for Guy Pelly, the pal at the centre of Prince Harry's drink and pot shame. There was also a place for Mark Dyer, the ex-Welsh Guards officer who is the closest thing William has to a private secretary. At the heart of the party preparations was Michael Fawcett, the former aide to Charles who quit amid the royal gifts scandal. Catering was overseen by chef Anton Mosimann. For the youngsters, one of the highlights was a trendy luge—a giant ice sculpture with vodka dripping slowly from the top to the bottom.
  
  A party-goer said: "The idea is you stand underneath and vodka flows into your mouth."
  
  Music came from African band Shakarimba. William even spent time rehearsing with them. The prince first took a turn on the tom-tom and later tried the marimba. Also playing at the party were members of the Philharmonic Orchestra. But as a special treat William hired a 1970s soul tribute band. There were even plans for cages filled with dancers in skimpy costumes to be revealed at midnight. The royal family kept their Out Of Africa outfits secret from each other until the final moment. But the Queen was understood to have worn a royal costume from Swaziland.
  
  
• Prince William vows to "do my duty"
  
  Prince William says he believes it his duty to succeed his father Prince Charles. Second-in-line to the throne behind Charles and his grandmother Queen Elizabeth, William has been characterised by some sections of the media as a reluctant royal, loathe to perform royal duties. Author Johann Hari in his book "God Save the Queen? The Truth About the Windsors" even went so far as to suggest the prince, who turned 21 on Saturday, has no intention of being crowned 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," William said in an interview with the Press Association. "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."
  
  The prince celebrated his 21st birthday with an "Out of Africa" fancy dress party at Windsor Castle on Saturday night.
  
  
• 'PLEASE ALLOW ME PRIVACY'
  
  Prince William has appealed to the media to continue to allow him privacy at university. On his 21st birthday he thanked the press for giving him space to be himself and complete his formal education 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 photocalls at significant points in their lives. For someone who was thought to dislike media attention as a young man, 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.
  
  "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."
  
  
• Royals go "Out of Africa"
  
  The Royal Family has gone "Out of Africa" with a midsummer fancy dress party at Windsor Castle to celebrate the 21st birthday of Prince William. Even his grandmother the Queen promised to don fancy dress to celebrate the coming of age of the student prince who has inherited the handsome looks of his late mother, Princess Diana. William, who is teaching himself Swahili at university in Scotland and loves safari trips to Africa, picked the theme and decided it would be fun to get the royals out of formal wear. "Black tie is good but it's a little bit sterile. I thought fancy dress would be quite fun, My grandmother may be slightly apprehensive as to what she's going to wear and what's going to happen, I don't know what she is going to wear but I'm sure she will look very amazing in whatever she chooses," he added. No details were given of the outfit she wore.
  
  More than 300 family and friends were invited from William's godparents to "the glossy posse" -- the nickname for the young women who eagerly admire the polo-playing prowess of one of the world's most eligible bachelors. William, seeking to tame Britain's fevered tabloid press, said: "I don't have a steady girlfriend."
  
  And he felt sorry for anyone who goes out with him under the full and unforgiving glare of the media.
  
  "There has 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." It's very difficult for them and I don't like that at all, suddenly they get thrown into the limelight."
  
  Playing at Saturday's party was a six-piece African marimba band, Shakarimba, from a remote village in Botswana. Prince William heard them while on holiday in Botswana in 1999. Now the combo is entertaining the cream of this country's high society. Media-savvy Buckingham Palace, keen to portray a modern-day monarchy that has put the age of deference behind it, carefully orchestrated the lead-up to William's birthday. William spoke movingly in defence of his father and proudly of his mother's legacy. She died in a Paris car crash in 1997. In the battle royal between his two sparring parents, he had a ringside seat during their bitter break-up. He once stuffed paper tissues under the bathroom door to his weeping mother after she argued with Charles. And, reflecting on his mother's tragically short life, he picked photographer Mario Testino to take his birthday portraits. Testino, who took a famous shot of Diana just before she died, put William in the same pose for his birthday photos.
  
  But William, in typically self-deprecating manner, said: "I chose Mario because he's the only person who could make a moose look good."
  
  
• Man arrested during 21st birthday bash for Britain's Prince William
  
  A man has been arrested after getting into the 21st birthday party of Britain's Prince William at the royal family's Windsor Castle, police said. The man stumbled onto a stage as William was making a speech of thanks, and attempted to grab the microphone from the heir to the British throne, a newspaper report said Sunday. He was detained at around 11:20pm (2220 GMT) on Saturday as more than 300 guests joined William and other royals for an Africa-themed fancy dress party at the castle, near London. No one was injured, and the man was currently at a nearby police station, a police spokeswoman said.
  
  "We consider any breach of security to be a serious matter and a thorough review into all the circumstances surrounding the incident is underway," she added, refusing to comment further.
  
  According to the News of the World newspaper, the man got onto the stage as Prince William made his speech. Guests initially believed the interloper was part of the party entertainment until he started shouting, the report said. William's 21st birthday on Saturday has been greeted with much fanfare in Britain. The tall and photogenic prince, the elder son of the late Princess Diana, pledged in an interview to mark the event that he would perform his "duty" in becoming king. William's father, Prince Charles, is next in line for the throne to his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
  
  
• 'The poor girls get thrown in the limelight. It's unfair on them and I don't like that'
  
  Prince William spoke yesterday of his sympathy for his female friends - and their families - who come under scrutiny from the media because they are wrongly and unfairly linked to him romantically. The Prince is in no doubt that potential girlfriends are put off by newspaper interest in their private lives but he indicated that if the right person came along he would be prepared to make his move.
  
  "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," said Prince William, who does not have a steady girlfriend. These poor girls, you know, whom 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."
  
  The Prince, who was 21 yesterday, would not be drawn on media speculation about particular girls in his life. The most recent girl to be wrongly labelled as his "first serious girlfriend" was Jessica Craig, 21, from Kenya, whom he met on his gap year while travelling in Africa but who now has a boyfriend. His close friend and flatmate, Kate Middleton, 20, and her family also came under intense scrutiny from tabloid newspapers, particularly after she was photographed looking glamorous during a student fashion show. "I don't have a steady girlfriend," the Prince admitted. He indicated, however, that he did not lack confidence if he found a girl attractive. "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."
  
  Prince William, who is modest about his description as one of the most eligible bachelors in the world, joked about his lack of a girlfriend. "Only the mad girls chase me," he claimed. "No, I've never been aware of anyone chasing me but if there were, could they please leave their telephone number" The Prince appealed publicly to the media to allow him privacy at St Andrews University. There has been an unofficial deal between editors and St James's Palace that photographers and journalists stay away from the Scottish town in return for regular access to the Prince during his four years as a student. There have, however, been recent "snatched" photographs of the Prince, taken through telephoto lenses, in the tabloids in recent months as some editors complained that they were not receiving the level of access to the young Prince that they had been promised. Prince William thanked the media for giving him space at Eton College and St Andrews. "They have been really good about the whole thing and I'm sure they've been very frustrated at the same time," he said.
  
  The Prince has long been wary of the press, perhaps not surprisingly given that his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, died six years ago in a car crash in Paris as she was fleeing photographers.
  
  "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," said the Prince. "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. 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."
  
  He said of his own portrayal by the media: "I don't want to be anything I'm not, and I don't want to come across as being superhuman or an idiot. I just want to come across as me."
  
  For the moment, he is shunning formality and likes to be known simply as "William Wales". "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."
  
  The Prince offered a bizarre explanation for his trait of putting his head down in public: a habit that has infuriated photographers for years. "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."
  
  
• HIS MOTHER'S SON..AND IT REALLY SHOWS
  
  IN the years since her death, the public have not been privy to Prince William's thoughts about Princess Diana. Wisely, he hasn't entered into detailed discussions about the loss of his mother. Nor have we seen displays of grief. But finally today, in a fitting gesture of respect on his 21st birthday, he reveals to the wider world the extent of her legacy in his birthday portraits. Of course the remarkable likeness between mother and son has always been striking. Occasionally we'll see a gesture, a turn of the head or a shy smile from William which is so reminiscent of Diana it catches the breath. But the pictures by photographer Mario Testino are the most haunting reminder thus far that as long as William's around, his mother will never be forgotten. That he poses, as she once did, in a black polo-neck sweater is a telling sign he's determined to keep her memory very much alive. Today, those attempts to airbrush her from history are well and truly scuppered as every little nuance of her smile is recorded for posterity by her eldest child. The coy downward glance, the half-suppressed mischievous smile and even the body language are identical to the poses we saw a million times during her lifetime. That William has benefited from the Windsor/Spencer gene pool is evident but it would appear he's inherited more than his mother's good looks. Already he's known among his peers as a mediator. But, more importantly, in a world of protocol, where decisions are made by others, he reveals that he strives to remain in total control.
  
  "I could actually lose my identity,'' he says...words which echo the frustrations Diana faced when, as a young princess, she found herself surrounded by armies of forelock tuggers.
  
  "I think it's very important that you make your own decisions about what you are,'' insists William, leaving us in no doubt that he intends to use his position, as his mother did, to help others.
  
  On the face of it, I'd say we can see very clearly that the decisions about what and who he is have already been taken by William. Very clearly he's his mother's son. And it shows.
  
  

June 21, 2003 -

• Wills: My pal Harry
  
  PRINCE William has told how brother Harry is his best mate in a revealing interview given to mark his 21st birthday today. The Prince also spoke movingly of the way his life has been shaped by his mother and father, revealed his love of fast motorbikes - and told of his determination to stay in control of his own destiny. William said he and 18-year-old Harry have a strong brotherly bond, adding: “I have a very good relationship with him. 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.”
  
  William also celebrated his 21st by posing for a series of portraits with Mario Testino - one of mum Diana’s favourite photographers. In one picture Wills looks the spitting image of Di, posing with his chin resting on his hand exactly as she did during a photo session with Testino just before her death. Afterwards, the fashion photographer said the youngster had been incredibly like his mother in front of the camera. He added: “William is a very photogenic person. He was so relaxed and open - and very self-confident. That’s the thing that comes across the most.”
  
  William himself spoke candidly about the influence both his parents have had - and continue to have - on him. He said Prince Charles was a real inspiration and added that he wished some of the people who loved to criticise his father would give him a break. William added: “He does so many amazing things, I only wish people would see that more. 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 he had followed in his father’s footsteps in areas like rural issues - especially his support for organic farming.
  
  He said: “I’m one of his biggest fans in that sense. I just wish that people would give him a break.”
  
  William admitted his father and the rest of the Royals were concerned about his love of fast motorbikes. But he said he shrugged off their fears and would continue to indulge his passion. He said: "Riding a motorbike can be dangerous - but so can lots of things. It is a risk but as long as you’ve had sufficient and thorough training, you should be OK. You’ve just got to be aware of what you’re doing. My father is concerned about the fact that I’m into motorbikes but he doesn’t want to keep me wrapped up in cotton wool. So you might as well live if you’re going to live. I don’t know what it is about bikes, but I’ve always had a passion for them since I was small."
  
  William rides his motorbike mainly at Highgrove and around the country roads of Gloucestershire.
  
  He said: “It does help being anonymous with my motorcycle helmet on - it enables me to relax. I just enjoy everything about motorbikes and the camaraderie that comes with them.”
  
  William revealed he has a Yamaha 600 trials bike - and it has been hinted he might get a new motorbike as a 21st birthday present. But not from Charles.
  
  He said: “I’ve dropped many hints to my father about pretty much everything. He’ll do the paternal thing and decide what he thinks is best - I’m sure he’ll give me something lovely.”
  
  William, who is mid-way through a four year degree at St Andrew’s University, said his mother had been the other major influence on his life. And he was determined to copy her by using his influence and Royal patronage to help those less fortunate - particularly the homeless. 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. My mother used her position very well to help other people, as does my father. And I hope to do the same.”
  
  William also revealed another aspect of his personality that had echoes of Di - a refusal to be dominated by Royal courtiers. He said: “I like to be in control of my life. A lot of people think I’m hugely stubborn - but you have to be slightly stubborn because everybody wants you for one reason or another. If you don’t stick to your guns then you lose control. I don’t like the idea of that. I could lose my identity. I’m not an over-dominant person. I don’t go around and expect everyone to listen to me the whole time.”
  
  William said he heeded the advice given by Royal aides - but always made his own decision on issues.
  
  He added: “I do listen. I listen to what people have to say to me and I make my own judgments from there. I think it’s very important you make your own decisions about what you are. Therefore, you’re responsible for your actions and don’t blame other people.”
  
  William’s 21st party tonight is on an “Out Of Africa” theme - an idea he thought would liven up the usual, more formal, Royal bashes. The Queen and other senior royals will all be turning up at Windsor Castle’s state rooms in fancy dress.
  
  He said: “I thought it would be quite fun to see the family out of black tie and get everyone to dress up.”
  
  William said his grandmother was probably “apprehensive” about her costume - but added: “She’s very much looking forward to it. She’s very positive towards the whole thing.”
  
  
• Prince William: Give my father a break
  
  Prince William has used an interview to mark his 21st birthday to plead for people to have a better understanding of his father, the Prince of Wales, and to give him "a break". Prince William also spoke of the enduring influence of his late mother.
  
  In a very public declaration of his love for Prince Charles, Prince William said: "He does so many amazing things. 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."
  
  He acknowledged his father was a "huge influence" on him, especially in helping him form his own opinions on rural issues such as organic farming and sustainability.
  
  "I am one of his biggest fans in that sense," said Prince William. He's been given quite a hard time recently and I just wish that people would give him a break," he added, in response to negative publicity following the collapsed trial of Paul Burrell, the royal butler.
  
  Prince William also spoke of the enduring influence of his late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, especially in making him aware of the plight of the homeless.
  
  "I was influenced a lot by my visits to hostels with my mother when I was young, 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," added the Prince, who specifically requested to visit a homeless charity during his public engagements this week to mark his coming-of-age.
  
  "My mother used her position very well to help other people, as does my father, and I hope to do the same". With his 21st birthday - marked by Andrew Motion, the Poet Laureate, with specially written "rap" poem - Prince William becomes a Counsellor of State, with delegated powers to act on behalf of the Queen.
  
  It is his introduction to constitutional government and recognises his seniority within the Royal Family as second in line to the throne. The appointment is automatic, under the Regency Acts 1937-53 which provides that the Queen is entitled to appoint up to six Counsellors of State, who, apart from her husband Prince Philip, are the next in line of succession provided they have reached the age of 21. Depite not yet using his HRH style, Prince William, who replaces the Princess Royal as a Counsellor of State, is now eligible to exercise the functions of the Queen in her absence, either abroad or through illness. Prince Harry will also become one on attaining 21, and will replace the Earl of Wessex. In a wide-ranging interview, the Prince said that his guiding principles in life were "to be honest, genuine, thoughtful and caring". He also spoke about his close relationship with Prince Harry.
  
  "We've grown up together and we have to go through things together, we've grown up around the same things and 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 also explained his own worries about the challenges facing the countryside, including 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 shows same self-confidence as his mother
  
  The photographer who has taken the official birthday pictures of Prince William says he oozes the same self confidence as his mother. Mario Testino gave his verdict after a photo-shoot with the prince, who is 21 today. It was partly because William liked the photographs Testino took of Princess Diana that he asked him to mark his birthday with a set of pictures.
  
  Testino said: "I have actually photographed the whole family, so it's like closing a circle. The thing they all had in common was humour - they all liked a laugh and managed to find the funny side."
  
  William went to Testino's London studio for the birthday photo session and posed in different settings, wearing a variety of outfits. "I thought he was so relaxed and open - so impressive for his age. He's very self-confident - that's the thing that comes across the most. He is very sure of what he likes and dislikes. William is a very photogenic person. I think it comes from a sense of security. The camera reveals how you feel. Taking pictures of William was easier than with a lot of people. These shots show a new elegance coming through, I think. With photography, you sometimes want a sharper image than real life. But I didn't want to change William and followed his own style. I'm recording a document of our times so I tried to keep him as he is. Sometimes it's necessary to do some hand re-touching of the photographs - when we get older we like to lose a few wrinkles - but that wasn't necessary with William because he has a very good complexion. The camera definitely likes William - incredibly so."
  
  
• Wills At 21: Moving Tribute to Parents
  
  PRINCE William yesterday paid an emotional tribute to his mum...and also leapt to his father's defence. Speaking on the eve of his 21st birthday he said he had learned a lot from Princess Diana's life while demanding critics of Prince Charles "give him a break".
  
  Wills said: "My mother used her position very well to help other people, as does my father. And I hope to do the same."
  
  And of Charles he added: "He does so many amazing things. 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."
  
  Speaking publicly for the first time about his mum since her death, Wills told how he wanted to carry on her work with under-privileged people. The prince, looking remarkably like Diana in his official 21st birthday photo, said his outlook on life was shaped by Diana's concern for the sick and poor. She was so determined her children should experience life outside the privileged confines of the palace walls that she took them to see a friend with Aids in hospital and to shelters for the homeless.
  
  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."
  
  He seems to be taking his role seriously. This week William visited a drop-in centre for the homeless in Newport, South Wales. While the prince says he wants to be like Diana, he is under no illusion about the price of fame. He accepts that watching his mother struggle at times in the public glare has had a long-term affect on him. William admitted if he fancies a girl, he will chat her up. But he said his girlfriends must be protected from the media spotlight. And, echoing Diana's views on the future of the monarchy, he insisted the royal family must be relevant to ordinary people's lives to survive. After the princess's death in 1997, many of her admirers - and even her family - said they were concerned her children's lives would be simply immersed in tradition and duty. But William insisted he never stopped being exposed to the difficulties facing other young people since his mother died.
  
  Before starting university he worked on a West Country farm. William described the graft as "very hard". He added: "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 revealed Charles's concern for rural issues and the environment had rubbed off on him. He said: "I'm his biggest fan in that sense."
  
  And he shares his father's fears for the future of the countryside. He said: "To me, one of the worrying things is the lack of affordable housing for the younger generation. If younger people leave, there is 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."
  
  Wills also spoke of his closeness to 18-year-old Harry.
  
  He said: "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 very caring."
  
  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. He added with a grin: "The early mornings are putting me off."
  
  The prince revealed his fondness for walking in the country. He said: "I love it. My father is a great walker, he does a lot of it. You can go off, ponder and think about things. It's your own time."
  
  
• Al Fayed: "I'm more disappointed for William than for myself and my family."
  
  AN ALMIGHTY row has taken place at St James's Palace over whether Mohamed al Fayed should have received an invitation to Prince William's 21st birthday party tomorrow, I can reveal.
  
  William was adamant he wanted to invite the owner of Harrods and Fulham FC, as well as Al Fayed's wife Heini and their children. But when he presented his ideal guest list, a senior figure at the Palace - and the finger of suspicion points at Prince Charles himself - put a line through their names.
  
  A Palace source says: "William has absolutely nothing against Al Fayed, although other members of the Royal family dislike him. Eventually William succumbed to the pressure."
  
  William treasures memories of his holiday - with Princess Diana - aboard Al Fayed's yacht shortly before the Paris car crash that killed his mother and the tycoon's son Dodi in 1997.
  
  When I raised the subject with Al Fayed last night, he said: "I'm more disappointed for William than for myself and my family."
  
  On the plus side, it's saved him the bother of raiding his dressing up box - the party at Windsor Castle has an Out Of Africa theme.
  
  
• Prince Opts For Fancy Dress Party
  
  Prince William has chosen an Out of Africa theme for his 21st birthday party to get the Royal Family into fancy dress. More than 300 family and friends are invited to tonight's Windsor Castle bash to mark his 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. William, who is teaching himself Swahili and loves his trips on safari, chose the fancy-dress theme.
  
  He said: "I thought it would be 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 has still 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. 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. I don't know what she's going to wear, but I'm sure she'll look very amazing in whatever she chooses."
  
  

June 20, 2003 -

• Ozzy invites Prince William to move in with the Osbournes
  
  Prince William has received a 21st birthday present he's unlikely to want - an invitation to move in with Ozzy Osbourne. MTV star Ozzy tells William he would love to have him as a house guest when he comes to the US, in a Tonight With Trevor McDonald special.
  
  In a direct message to the Prince on the eve of his birthday, Ozzy says: "I've been told that you want to come and live in America. You're more than welcome to come and live in my house. My daughter would be thrilled. My wife would. I would. And the dogs would!"
  
  In a birthday message for William at 21, he says: "Your Royal Highness Prince William, I, from the bottom of my heart, hope you have a wonderful 21st birthday. Have as much fun as you can, play Black Sabbath on record and have a blast."
  
  The Brummie rocker met William and other members of the Royal Family last year when he performed at the Queen's Jubilee concert. Ozzy joked that he caught the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Charles and Princes William and Harry head-banging during his set.
  
  He said: "I'm doing Paranoid and I'm looking at the Royal Box and they're all head-banging! I was kind of shocked but pleasantly surprised how normal they are."
  
  
• William and Harry joke with their father on TV
  
  Newly-released footage shows Prince William giving his father a hard time when the pair play polo together. Prince Charles and his two sons were filmed by ITN at a polo match to mark William's 21st birthday tomorrow.
  
  After the match, William joked: "I'm well surprised you scored a goal, actually."
  
  Charles replied: "I can do it even at my advanced stage of decrepitude."
  
  His eldest son asked: "Were you all right keeping up? It was a quick game." He then joked about the possibility of putting stabilisers on his father's horse.
  
  William and Harry exchanged the usual brotherly banter in the film. When Prince William forgot to bring his boots to the match, Harry said: "Get this on camera, you forgot your boots, you're an idiot."
  
  William confessed: "That's just about the stupidest thing I could have done."
  
  Later, when William joked that he should be congratulated for his play, Harry said: "Shut up, I nearly fell off my horse trying to get you to hit the ball and you missed it, spoon."
  
  After a long pause, Charles said: "Spoon, did you say?" Harry answered: "Spoon, it's not a swear word."
  
  Earlier, before the match, in which the Highgrove team beat their opponents 9-4, the boys were seen laughing affectionately at their father.
  
  
• WILL GIVES DAD HARD TIME
  
  Prince William gives his father a hard time when the pair play polo together, newly-released TV film reveals. The Prince of Wales and his two sons were filmed by at a polo match to mark William's 21st birthday tomorrow.
  
  After the match, William joked: "I'm well surprised you scored a goal, actually."
  
  Charles replied: "I can do it even at my advanced stage of decrepitude."
  
  His eldest son asked: "Were you all right keeping up? It was a quick game."
  
  He then joked about the possibility of putting stabilisers on his father's horse. William and Harry exchanged the usual brotherly banter in the ITN film.
  
  When Prince William forgot to bring his boots to the match, Harry said: "Get this on camera, you forgot your boots ... you're an idiot."
  
  William confessed: "That's just about the stupidest thing I could have done." Later, when William joked that he should be congratulated for his play, Harry said: "Shut up, I nearly fell off my horse trying to get you to hit the ball and you missed it, spoon."
  
  After a long pause, Charles said: "Spoon, did you say?"
  
  Harry answered: "Spoon, it's not a swear word."
  
  Charles said: "It isn't, I'm sure. I do hope it isn't."
  
  Earlier, before the match, in which the Highgrove team beat their opponents 9-4, the boys were seen laughing affectionately at their father. Harry said to his brother: "Pa's on good form today, isn't he?"
  
  William replied: "When he starts to think he's really funny, you've got to worry."
  
  
• Charles: My pride in William
  
  THE Prince of Wales spoke of his "inordinate pride" in his eldest son William yesterday - and then proceeded to pull his leg by saying it was kind of him to "interrupt his hectic university studies" to accompany him on a royal visit to Wales. Throughout a rare day of joint official engagements in Gwynedd and Newport to mark William's coming of age tomorrow, the two princes were in light-hearted mood, swapping banter with each other continually. And, speaking as he opened a new £1m drop-in centre run by Newport Action for the Single Homeless (Nash) Prince Charles said, "My eldest son is about to become 21. And all I can say is it makes me feel unbelievably old to have a 21-year-old son of whom I must say I am inordinately proud.
  
  "He is also of incredible help and assistance to me as I become increasingly old and decrepit. And it was very good of him to interrupt his hectic university studies to be here."
  
  Prince William, who will one day succeed his father as Prince of Wales, chose to visit Wales as his only public engagement to mark his 21st birthday. He insisted on visiting both North and South Wales, on meeting people from both rural and urban backgrounds and on visiting a centre for the homeless. The day began with an early birthday welcome as William stepped off the royal train at Bangor station to a rendition of Happy Birthday, sung in both Welsh and English by children from the city's Ein Harglwyddes primary school. Dressed in a navy blue suit and tie, the prince, who is halfway through an MA degree at St Andrews University in Scotland, stopped to speak to many of the children. Outside the station hundreds of well-wishers had stood for more than two hours in the rain to catch a glimpse of William as he made his way to Anglesey Agricultural Showground to visit the island's Food Fair. And few were left disappointed as William, together with his father spent five minutes meeting members of the public. At the food fair, where around 500 people had gathered to welcome him, William sampled a real ale named Amnesia.
  
  "It does exactly what it says on the bottle," Martyn Lewis, of the Isle of Anglesey Brewery, told William.
  
  The young prince replied, "I don't normally do real ale, I like cider, but this is good."
  
  The princes also put on aprons to cook Welsh fillet steak. William, who says he is a hopeless cook, did his steak medium rare.
  
  Demonstration chef Melfyn Thomas told him, "You're an excellent cook." But a modest William replied, "I don't think so."
  
  Later at Newport, Prince William delighted homeless youngsters by chatting to them about everything from garage music to trendy hairdos. He met many people his own age who live in hostels during his visit to the Newport Action for the Single Homeless day centre in the city. The princes toured the scheme which attempts to improve the employment prospects of vulnerable young people with activities such as carpentry, photography and art. He had to decline the offer of a pint from one Nash member, Darryl Williams, who cheekily invited the Prince out for a beer.
  
  Appearing very much the confident royal figure, William quizzed the young people about their work and interests. In the carpentry workshop, he met spiky-haired Nick Trett, from Newport, and commented on his choice of hairstyle - which was not dissimilar to Pop Idol runner-up Gareth Gates. "I love the hair," William exclaimed as he entered the room.
  
  Throughout the visit, history of art student William proudly praised his brother Harry's art work and said he was really no good at such things.
  
  He said, "Have you seen the stuff my brother did recently? It's very, very good."
  
  The visit to the centre ended with both William and Charles joining homeless DJ Floyd D (real name David Floyd) on a mixing desk.
  
  "He was great," said Floyd of the young prince's efforts. "He told me he liked house music and he certainly looked as if he knew what he was doing."
  
  

June 19, 2003 -

• Harry totter
  
  RED-faced Prince Harry staggers out of a bar after celebrating the end of his A-levels — by bumping up his ALE levels. Harry, 18, and pals kept their spirits up with a six-hour tour of some trendy London nightspots. The fun-loving Prince, who was accompanied by two detectives, partied on into the early hours — hitting two upmarket wine bars and a fashionable club. One onlooker said: “He certainly seemed to be having a good time and was definitely in no hurry to head home. Harry really was enjoying himself — he was very jolly.”
  
  First stop for the Royal reveller was a wine bar called Barbo in West London’s Fulham Road where he was spotted at 9pm with a pal and the two cops. Young punters around the Prince knocked back wine, cocktails and bottles of lager as he took in the atmosphere. One bar-goer said: “He was very chatty and keen to mix. There were lots of boys and girls of his own age around.”
  
  An hour later, a flushed-looking Harry and chums were off — hailing a black cab to take them to a nearby bar that is known for its vodka-based cocktails. After another hour he was moving on again — taking another cab to the 151 Club, a favourite haunt in Chelsea’s Kings Road. Harry, in trademark baseball cap, disappeared into the club’s basement bar just after 11pm. He didn’t re-emerge for more than four hours, slipping out through a side door to wander off into the dawn at around 3.30am. A fellow clubber said: “Even though he was obviously out late, he didn’t seem too much the worse for wear and handled the scene well. He just wanted to get stuck-in and have fun.”
  
  Harry’s boozing hit the headlines 16 months ago when The Sun told how pals had introduced him to drugs and under-age drinking. Last month he was told by Prince Charles to dump best mate Guy Pelly — whose boozy antics were embarrassing the Royals.
  
  
• Prince William visits Wales
  
  Two days before his 21st birthday, Prince William has visited Wales to familiarise himself with the country whose title he would carry if his father Prince Charles becomes king. In an event designed to help ease William into the limelight as he turns 21, Charles and his son by the late Princess Diana travelled together to see a food fair in northern Wales and a homeless charity in the south. As he stepped off the royal train at Bangor, William was treated to a Welsh-language rendition of "Happy Birthday" by local schoolchildren. Hundreds of well-wishers cheered him.
  
  "It's the first time I've seen Prince William and he is so like his mother, unbelievably like her," said pensioner Marie Wilcox who waited two-and-a-half hours to see William.
  
  "He has a gentle demeanour and was very personable, looking you straight in the face as he spoke to you."
  
  William had been enjoying a quiet life at a Scottish university where his privacy is fiercely protected. But all that is changing as his impending birthday on Saturday pushes him onto the public stage, and many Britons yearn for the handsome prince to fill the royal glamour gap left by Diana after her death in a 1997 car crash.
  
  
• Welsh welcome for Prince William
  
  Prince William received an early birthday welcome when he arrived in North Wales ahead of his 21st on Saturday. He stepped off the Royal train at Bangor to a crowd of screaming girls and other well-wishers. And he was treated to a rendition of Happy Birthday, sung in both Welsh and English by children from the city's Ein Harglwyddes primary school. William, together with his father Prince Charles, spent five minutes meeting members of the public before heading for Anglesey Agricultural Showground to visit the island's Food Fair. There, Anglesey Young Farmers made William an honorary member and handed him a membership card.
  
  "He's keen on keeping British agriculture going," said Arwel Hughes, 28, the young farmers' chairman.
  
  Eifion Hughes, president of Anglesey Farmers' Union, said both Charles and William asked about lamb prices. "I said that we can't complain," said Mr Hughes.
  
  The Princes put on aprons to cook Welsh fillet steak. William, who says he is a hopeless cook, did his steak medium rare. Demonstration chef Melfyn Thomas told the young Prince: "You're an excellent cook." A modest William replied: "I don't think so."
  
  A crowd of more than 500 people turned out to see the princes at the Food Fair and shouted for William's attention. He soon relaxed and was at ease chatting to excited fans and meeting exhibitors at the fair. In a smart blue suit, collar and tie, William circulated, taking time to talk to as many people as possible and exchanging good-humoured banter with his father. Eirwen Malone, 62, from Amlwch, Anglesey, took her chance to get close to William and kissed him on the cheek. "I think he liked it," she said.
  
  Charles and William were later travelling to Newport in South Wales where they were visiting a day centre for the homeless.
  
  
• Birthday drinks for joker William
  
  Prince William enjoyed a few drinks, chatted about art, punk haircuts and garage music - and teased his father on their visit to Wales. The prince travelled to north and south Wales with Prince Charles on the only official engagement to mark his 21st birthday on Saturday. Renditions of Happy Birthday in English and its Welsh equivalent - Penblwydd Hapus - kicked off their arrivals in first Bangor and then Anglesey. He pulled his father's leg about underage drinking - and used decidely adult language when he joked that photographers were trying to get him drunk. William raised a laugh when he tasted three glasses of two different liqueurs. "Are you trying to get me p*****d?" he joked.
  
  With a hint of mischief in his voice, he said to his father: "Look Pops, they've got cherry brandy."
  
  William had evidently been told the story of when his father ordered a cherry brandy in a pub as a schoolboy. An amused Prince of Wales raised his eyebrows and replied to his son: "Don't believe everything they tell you."
  
  "We offered Charles the cherry brandy but he said he'd better not have that and tried the apricot brandy instead," said Carol Jones of Condessa, makers of liqueurs in Llanfaethlu, Anglesey.
  
  More drinks were on the way when William sampled a real ale named Amnesia.
  
  "It does exactly what it says on the bottle," Martyn Lewis, of the Isle of Anglesey Brewery, told William.
  
  "I don't normally do real ale, I like cider, but this is good," the young prince replied.
  
  Hundreds of fans gathered at Bangor train station to greet him and Prince Charles on their arrival on a train called Prince William. Both Charles and William walked over to a crowd of pupils from St Gerard's School in Bangor who were waving both the Welsh and British flags.
  
  Teleri Jones, 13, said: "I am a big fan. I shook their hands and they said hello. I noticed that William's hands are very soft, while Prince Charles' are hard!"
  
  Pensioner Marie Wilcox, who waited two-and-a-half hours to see him, said: "It's the first time I've seen Prince William and he is so like his mother, unbelievably like her. He has a gentle demeanour and was very personable, looking you straight in the face as he spoke to you."
  
  The two princes walked round the Anglesey food fair with its 28 stalls of local produce offering an array of goodies - everything from Welsh cakes and beer to black beef and sea salt. Erin Jones, 17, helps William with a celebratory birthday cake. He chatted to the stallholders, many of whom saw the event as an important boost for an area hard hit by recent crises in the farming industry.
  
  Bess Evans, who makes a range of home-made cakes said: "It went quite well, better than I expected. He spoke more than I did. He was very interested."
  
  Ieuan Williams, aged 14, was one of the singers who performed for the two princes.
  
  He said: "It is good to see him touring the country to see all his people, to make sure everyone know he does care."
  
  Preparations for the visit had been underway for hours at the food fair before they arrived.
  
  Local herb grower Rowena Mansfield said: "Will's birthday is the same as mine, but I won't be 21 again."
  
  There is speculation that after finishing his history of art course William will spend six months learning Welsh at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, as his father did in the 1960s. Elen Thomas and Holly Williams, both 11, dressed in traditional Welsh costume, asked William if he spoke Welsh and if he would be invested as Prince of Wales at Caernarfon Castle, as his father had been. "William said his Welsh was a bit poor, so he needed some practice," said Elen. "He said he thought he probably would be invested at Caernarfon."
  
  William and Charles then visited the Newport Action for the Single Homeless (Nash) day centre in south Wales. William, who is two years into a history of art degree at St Andrews University in Scotland, met many people his own age who live in hostels. The princes took a tour of the scheme which attempts to improve the employment prospects of vulnerable young people with activities such as carpentry, photography and art. In Newport Floyd D shows the two princes how to mix. He had to decline the offer of a pint from one Nash member, Darryl Williams, who cheekily invited the prince out for a beer.
  
  Darryl, 21, originally from Cwmbran, said: "He was wicked. He said he'd love to come for a drink. I asked him but he couldn't because of the press. If I had his number, I would go down to his gaff. He asked me what type of music I was into. I said garage and anything really. He likes a bit of garage."
  
  In the carpentry workshop, he met spiky-haired Nick Trett, from Newport, and commented on his choice of hairstyle - which was not dissimilar to Pop Idol runner-up Gareth Gates. "I love the hair," William exclaimed as he entered the room.
  
  In the art room, William was able to show off his knowledge of the art world. He exclaimed on seeing dramatic pictures of punk-style women with extravagant hairdos: "Wow, look at this ... these are brilliant."
  
  
• William birthday pictures sale to benefit charities
  
  Homeless people and hard-up farmers in Wales will benefit from 21st birthday pictures of Prince William. He is donating proceeds from the sale of his official birthday pictures by internationally renowned photographer Mario Testino. The two beneficiary charities will be Newport Action for the Single Homeless (Nash) and the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution in Wales (Rabi) William is meeting representatives of both charities during visits to North and South Wales today, in the run-up to his birthday on Saturday.
  
  Accompanied by his father, William will visit the Anglesey Food Fair to help promote local produce like Welsh cheeses, beef, lamb and Welsh cakes. The two Princes were meeting Rabi workers who provide Welsh farmers and their families with financial support and advice. They will also officially open the Nash Pilot Project - a £1 million day centre for local homeless people in South Wales. The project offers a range of activities, including painting, ceramics, creative writing, music, computing and cookery, to develop untapped skills and boost confidence.
  
  Money from William's birthday photographs will help homeless people to find accommodation and employment. The pictures were taken by Testino at his London studio earlier this month. Rabi field officer Erys Hughes said the charity was absolutely overjoyed at William's generosity, adding: "The donation that he is making will make a tremendous difference to members of the farming community and their families in Wales."
  
  Nash director Richard Frame said: "The proceeds of Prince William's birthday photographs can help Nash to change people's lives completely. We aim to use the money effectively so that hundreds of homeless people will benefit."
  
  
• Wills is prince of Wales
  
  HUNDREDS of Royal fans lined the streets of Bangor today to wish Prince William a happy 21st birthday. Children from the city's primary school treated him to a chorus of Happy Birthday - in both Welsh and English - as he stepped from the Royal train, in North Wales. Wills turns 21 on Saturday and this morning was dressed smartly in a navy blue suit and tie and accompanied by his father, the Prince of Wales. Well-wishers had waited for up to two hours in the rain to catch a glimpse of the prince, who went on to visit a Food Fair, at Anglesey Agricultural Showground. Carole Beard, 35, said he told her he was planning to learn to speak Welsh.
  
  She said: "He was very pleasant. You could tell he has a lot of the qualities of his mother."
  
  Another fan, Marie Wilcox, 64, said: "It’s the first time I’ve seen Prince William and he is so like his mother, unbelievably like her. He has a gentle demeanour and was very personable, looking you straight in the face as he spoke to you."
  
  Wills will celebrate his 21st birthday in two days time, with an African themed party for pals.
  
  
• Is one trying to get me pissed?
  
  PRINCE William downed liqueur, gin, brandy and a beer called AMNESIA — then asked his dad: “Are you trying to get me pissed?”
  
  William, 21 tomorrow, and Prince Charles decided to taste some of the booze on offer while touring a Welsh food fair in Anglesey.
  
  He made the earthy quip after Charles supped a chocolate and whisky liqueur, grabbed his son and said: “You should try this.”
  
  Liqueur maker Carol Jones, 54, said: “It wasn’t the sort of language you expect from a future king, but it’s nice that he can be so natural.”
  
  Wills went on to try an apricot brandy, saying: “That cleared the sinuses.” Then he sampled sloe gin and knocked back the powerful real ale. Later the royal pair flew to Newport, South Wales, to visit a charity centre. Charles had William blushing as he said he was “inordinately proud” of him — but felt “unbelievably old”.
  
  
• Prince William chats to young Welsh homeless
  
  Prince William chatting to homeless youngsters about everything from garage music to trendy hairdos on his whirlwind tour of Wales today. The royal student met many people his own age who live in hostels during his visit to the Newport Action for the Single Homeless (NASH) day centre in Newport. Joined by his father, the Prince of Wales, he took a tour of the scheme which attempts to improve the employment prospects of vulnerable young people with activities such as carpentry, photography and art. He had to decline the offer of a pint from one NASH member, Darryl Williams, who cheekily invited the Prince out for a beer. Describing his meeting with William, Darryl, originally from Cwmbran, said: "He was wicked. He said he'd love to come for a drink. I asked him but he couldn't because of the press. If I had his number, I would go down to his gaff.
  
  "He asked me what type of music I was into. I said garage and anything really. He likes a bit of garage."
  
  Darryl, 21, said it was strange to see the comparison between himself and William, who will be 21 on Saturday.
  
  "It's crazy the way he lives. I might ask him to give me some money," he joked.
  
  William met Darryl, who was made homeless when he was 15, in the NASH computer room, where homeless people can use up-to-date equipment to improve their IT skills. Appearing very much the confident royal figure, William quizzed the young people about their work and interests In the carpentry workshop, he met spiky-haired Nick Trett, from Newport, and commented on his choice of hairstyle - which was not dissimilar to Pop Idol runner-up Gareth Gates.
  
  "I love the hair," William exclaimed as he entered the room.
  
  Nick, 24, roped the Prince in to help him finish off one of his projects, letting William glue a plastic eye on a fierce looking wooden piranha. As William commented on the vicious looking fish, Nick replied: "I thought a leg coming out of the mouth would be too far."
  
  As William tried to hold the miniature eyeball in place, he added: "This is why I don't do art. Nothing ever stays."
  
  Throughout the visit, history of art student William was heard to proudly praise his brother Harry's art work and explained that he was really no good at such things. Nick, who was sporting a red stud in his nose and several piercings in his right ear, said the piranha creation - which formed part of a seaside-themed mirror decorated with shells and mock seaweed - would be going up in his new flat. He left a NASH hostel six months ago, and had been homeless since he was 17 after problems at home and with illness. In the art room, William was able to show off his knowledge of the world of sketches and paintings.
  
  He exclaimed on seeing dramatic pictures of punk-style women with extravagant hairdos: "Wow, look at this ... these are brilliant."
  
  Examining a Tate Gallery text book on the art room table, he said: "I recognise that," before flicking to the front to look at the book's title.
  
  As the Prince of Wales examined other pieces of art around the room, William chatted to 56-year-old Brian Long, originally from Ammanford, about his pencil sketch of a Scottish castle. Peering at the photograph from which Mr Long was working, William said: "Have you seen the James Bond film. If you see The World is not Enough - it looks like that."
  
  He later said of Prince Harry's talent for art: "Have you seen the stuff my brother did recently? It's very, very good."
  
  

June 18, 2003 -

• Wills In Line for Top Bachelor Award
  
  Prince William or actor Ashton Kutcher are in line to be voted the most eligible bachelor in the world. Readers of U.S. magazine People are being asked to decide who should occupy the top spot - and has issued different front covers comparing the two rivals. It notes William, who turns 21 on Saturday, wears baseball caps and dates "blue-blooded babes". Kutcher, 25, who stars in Sky's That '70s Show and Punk'd on MTV, prefers trucker hats and hangs out with "Hollywood hotties". He is currently dating actress Demi Moore. The magazine released its list of the 25 hottest bachelors but is leaving the top spot open to an online vote. Also included in the list are Pop Idol and American Idol judge Simon Cowell, Jennifer Lopez's ex-husband Cris Judd and Tom Hanks' son Colin Hanks.
  
  
• Duchess: Wills is a dish
  
  THE Duchess of York admitted yesterday she thinks her nephew Prince William is “a real dish”. Fergie, 43, heaped praise on hunky Wills, saying: “He’s one of the most special people I’ve ever met.”
  
  She believes the prince — who turns 21 on Saturday — has inherited qualities from his mum Diana. And she thinks he will have no problems handling public attention. The Duchess said: “William will cope with it very well. I’m 100 per cent behind him in everything he does — I think he’s great. He’s strong, he’s got great ideas, great opinions. He will keep on his path of truth and that’s what he believes in. I suppose that’s his lovely mother coming through him. And he’s a real dish. But we’re meant to say he’s really fit. That’s what my daughters tell me, to use the word ‘fit’.”
  
  Fergie, making a rare UK public appearance on ITV1’s This Morning, told presenters Fern Britton and Philip Schofield she wants Eugenie, 13, and Beatrice, 14, to grow up “normally”. The Duchess — divorced from the girls’ dad Prince Andrew — added: “I’m a single working mother and the great thing is I’m bringing them up to be regular girls. Yes they can have a royal life, but they have to remember that when they’re in public, they’re being examined all the time. I tell them to smile and be nice, be gracious, always remember to be kind.”
  
  
• William chose Welsh birthday trip
  
  Prince William is to visit Wales to celebrate his 21st birthday Prince William asked for his only official engagement to mark his 21st birthday to be in Wales, it has emerged. William and his father Prince Charles will be visiting north and south Wales on Thursday, ahead of his birthday on Saturday.
  
  "Prince William wanted to do an engagement in Wales - he expressed it as one of the things he wanted to do," said a spokeswoman for St James's Palace.
  
  But one royal expert fears the event could be seen as a "futile gesture" as William prepares to one day succeed his father as Prince of Wales. Bob Houston, editor of Royalty magazine, said that, even though the Wales trip was significant, some people would see it as just a public relations exercise. "There are many in Wales who will think it is a gesture - for many it is a futile gesture, But it shows that Charles sees the Prince of Wales title as very important."
  
  He believes that, if William wants to know how to be Prince of Wales, he should learn from Charles' mistakes.
  
  "If anyone should know about preparing for being Prince of Wales is his father - who has been in the job for a time."
  
  Royal biographer Brian Hoey said that William's choice of birthday location showed he was "streetwise". "He specifically requested it would take place in Wales," he said.
  
  Mr Hoey reiterated his belief that William will study Welsh after finishing his art history course at St Andrews University in Scotland.
  
  "The palace won't confirm it yet, but it will probably be for six months - in all probability he will go to Aberystwyth, as his father did."
  
  Mr Hoey said that the Welsh course was part of a well-established schedule for the prince. Prince William has hinted he will play a role in Welsh life. "They have laid down the plan for the next 10 years - such as which branches of military service he will go into. It is all part of a long-term plan to prepare him for the role of king."
  
  Mr Hoey said that Prince William already received regular briefings to prepare him for his future jobs.
  
  "Every so often, the Queen and the Prince of Wales send him position papers, everything he might need to know on the state of the world," he said.
  
  But Ingrid Seward, editor of Majesty magazine, said she thought it was too early for William to be groomed to become Prince of Wales. "Obviously he has to have an interest in what is going on in Wales," she said. But I would be very surprised if a 20-year-old had a deep interest in Welsh politics."
  
  She added that she would not be surprised if William already knew "a few choice words" in Welsh.
  
  

June 17, 2003 -

• Rush For Prince William Stamps
  
  Millions of Prince William stamps have gone on sale - sparking a flurry of excitement among stamp collectors and fans of the Royal family.The Royal Mail phone line has been inundated with requests from members of the public wanting to purchase the tiny images. "We are expecting them to be this year's most popular stamps. Our order lines have been extremely busy," a Royal Mail spokesman said.
  
  "There are people who are royal collectors and those who are William fans. We have a lot of interest from overseas particularly Japan, Germany and the US. The ages range from teenagers to grandparents."
  
  The first class stamp featuring William is the first ever to show the new 28p price. The stamps have been released to celebrate William's 21st birthday this Saturday. It is the first time a Royal has appeared on postage stamps for such an occasion.
  
  
• Superkings or Regals?
  
  REGAL rebel Prince Harry lights up a fag — despite promising dad Charles he would quit smoking. Harry, 18, puffed a