...for November 2001

November 25, 2001 -

• Prince Harry emerged unscathed after taking to the field in one of Britain's oldest and most violent school games. He played in the annual Wall Game to mark St Andrew's Day at Eton. He was following in his older brother's footsteps, as Prince William also played the game at the school. But Harry was unable to help end the decades-old tradition of the hour-long match ending in a goalless draw. The St Andrew's Day match is famed for not seeing a goal scored since before the First World War, when former Prime Minister Harold Macmillan played. Harry played in the Lines position, the Wall Game equivalent of a flanker, and is said to have enjoyed the game and to have finished uninjured but extremely muddy. "Harry emerged with no injuries and very much enjoyed himself," a St James's Palace spokesman said. "He played well, he played on the outside, not in the middle where all the scrumming takes place." Many old Etonians have admitted to being baffled by the rules of the war game, which is one of the oldest forms of football in existence. Two teams of 10 battle it out along a 118-yard long wall, which divides Eton's playing fields from Slough Road. The pitch is only five yards wide and runs the length of the wall, with goals at either end. Play features a series of scrums to try to gain control of the ball and "sneaking", "furking" and "knuckling" are banned. Players are allowed to push other players' faces into the red brick wall, but are not allowed to twist their hands while doing it, as that would be knuckling. Furking involves passing the ball back and sneaking is the Wall Game equivalent of off-side. Photo 1 | Photo 2 | Photo 3 | Photo 4.

November 17, 2001 -

• An American magazine is to begin serialising leaked information about Prince William's time at university. The New York publishers of teenage magazine Seventeen claim to have "exclusive access" to one of William's fellow classmates on his art history course at St Andrews. They are to print the anonymous informant's accounts of the Prince's routine every month in a column entitled William Watch. Jodi Lapoint, spokeswoman for the magazine, said: "We're delighted to be keeping William's legion of US fans posted with his daily routine at one of the world's best universities. "We've been approached by one of his classmates who will be providing readers with monthly updates on a voluntary and unpaid basis. "As far as we're concerned, William's the world's most desirable bachelor with an enormous female following. We have a duty to keep people informed as to his daily activities." Students at the Scottish university have been threatened with expulsion if anyone leaks information to the press. But Ms Lapoint said this was not a matter of concern to the Manhattan-based publication. She said: "There's absolutely no harm in printing something that's clearly in the public interest. We're only writing nice things about him." The first issue, which goes on sale in January, details William's behaviour in class. The so-called "guy spy" reports: "In art history, Prince William had been sitting up front until the girls in class started migrating there. "One day his entire section was full except for two seats - the ones he and his bodyguard usually occupied. William had moved to the balcony. "Now the downstairs is like a ghost town because all the girls have gone upstairs. But the best thing about having William on campus is that the number of good-looking girls here has skyrocketed!" Ms Lapoint added that the magazine planned to run William Watch for at least three months - "or until it proved unpopular". She denied that the magazine was paying the anonymous student.
  
  
• William is carrying his mother's winningly informal style into his own social life. Last weekend, on a "study week" rest, he pitched up at the strictly black tie Heythrop Hunt Ball in Gloucestershire wearing jeans and T-shirt.
  
  
• Prince Harry attended a sports match recently. See pictures here.

November 1, 2001 -

• Stunned water polo players could not believe it when they discovered the identity of the hard man they'd been battling - Prince William. Hamilton Water Polo Club found themselves in a tough match against rivals at St Andrews University. But one particular player gave the Lanarkshire team serious problems. Coach Hartley MacGibbon said: "He got stuck right in and wasn't holding back in his tackles. He's a big lump of a fellow." It was not until after the match - which Hamilton won 5-2 - that they discovered the tough No5 was the dare-devil royal. Mr MacGibbon said: "If no one had told us we would never have known it was Prince William. He has grown his hair slightly longer now - but then he is a student. "None of the lads were giving him any special treatment." He said that Wills seemed happy just being treated as one of the lads. "He was just an ordinary guy - but that's the way it should be," he said. "At the end of the game, he shook hands with the ref and opposition players, got out of the pool and was sent for a shower. "He got stripped off with the rest of the guys from St Andrews and they just called him Wills." Yesterday, St Andrews University spokeswoman would not discuss the game. She said: "We cannot comment on the interests of any individual student." But Wills has a reputation for enjoying extreme sports. He rock climbs and two years ago completed a gruelling triathlon. He has also followed dad Prince Charles on to the polo field. But just like his mother, Diana Princess of Wales, swimming is his first love. And now he's studying at the home of golf, Wills has said he's keen to try the sport.