On the eve of his 18th birthday, these pictures, just
released by St James’s Palace, show Prince William as the mature young man
he has become. The Prince agreed to the photos, along with a written interview,
because he knew there would be a lot of interest generated by his
coming-of-age. “I’ve really appreciated being left alone, which has
allowed me to concentrate on my school work and enjoy being with my friends
without being followed by cameras. I don’t like the attention, but
I’m grateful to the media for helping to protect my privacy, and I hope I
can enjoy the same freedom at university.”
William comes across as a thoroughly normal teenager. He likes going to the
cinema, watching football, listening to pop music and dancing, although he
doesn’t go clubbing that often.
But anyone hoping to find out more about the prince’s private life will be
disappointed. “I like to keep my private life private,” he said when
asked if he had a girlfriend.
William says that he and his father are agreed that he shouldn’t take on
royal duties until he’s finished his full-time education, although
he’s undecided on what will happen after that. Photographers who have
followed the royal family for years believe that the teenager will be an even
bigger draw than his mother.
“William is going to be mega,” says The Sun’s royal
photographer Arthur Edwards. “When he starts doing official engagements,
there are going to be thousands of people out to see him -and not just here,
but all over the world.”
The young prince, meanwhile, is hoping that things will continue as they have
so far. He has announced that he doesn’t want to be called His Royal
Highness for the time being. After discussing it with his father, the two then
sought the approval of the Queen. It is a further signal that this is a young
man who yearns to stay out of the spotlight and live as straightforward a life
as possible, for as long as he can. |
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