William the auction office boy
by Richard Kay
He has sampled life in a high-rise council flat and visited the homeless and destitute.
Prince William spent three days learning about filing and photocopying
Now Prince William has broadened his horizons still further through work experience with a London auction house.
He spent his half-term as an office junior in the sale room at Christie's, the firm that sold off Princess Diana's dresses and made £2million for charity.
The job was fixed up for him by his Eton house master Dr Andrew Gainey as part of a scheme designed to give pupils a look at life in the real world.
Prince Charles - who progressed from school to university and then into the Services - readily gave permission for his son to spend three days at Christie's.
It was just before 9am last Thursday when William turned up at the offices of Spink and Co - part of the Christie's group specialising in military medals - in central London, just a stone throw from his home at St James's Palace.
Despite the presence of his police bodyguard he walked to work like thousands of other commuters going to nearby offices and shops.
First he was shown around the offices to meet other staff. Then he was shown the ropes of filing, photocopying and other tasks in keeping the busy office going. At 5pm William, like everyone else, finished and walked home again.
The Prince, who wore a suit and tie, impressed his bosses and is said to have enjoyed his time away from Eton.
It is understood that he was not paid for his work, which ended on Monday, but he is certainly the first future King to take on 'alter-native employment'. Unlike his friends at Eton, 16-year-old William knows his future is mapped out.
But like all young boys he has dreamed of doing 'proper jobs'.
He once told his mother that he wanted to be a policeman so he could take care of her.
And as a youngster he seemed to be heading for a life in the Army or Navy. But he has proved a gifted student, and a university education almost certainly beckons.
Last summer he passed 12 GCSEs and he is now studying for A-levels in geography, biology, and history of art.
There was another unprecedented break with tradition for the Queen yesterday.
MPs heard that Australia intends to stop her opening the Olympic Games next year.
The snub - believed to be the work of Prime Minister John Howard - will make her the first head of state ever to fail to take centre stage at the showpiece ceremony. It
comes less than nine months before Australians decide in a referendum whether the country should become a republic.
A failure to invite the Queen would amount to a powerful boost for the republican lobby, just at the point where opinion surveys show that fewer than half of Australians now favour a republic.
British Olympic Association chief Craig Reedie told the Commons culture, media and sport select committee there had been suggestions in Australia that the Governor General, Sir William Deane, should do the job instead. But there have been reports from Canberra that Mr Howard wants the role himself.
An invitation to anyone other than the Queen would flout the Olympic Charter, which declares: 'The Olympic Games shall be proclaimed open by the Head of State of the host country.'
But the International Olympic Committee - mired in scandal following revelations that some of its members have been bribed by cities desperate to host the Games - has suggested the issue is not a 'big problem'.
'I understand the official IOC position is that they would seek an opinion from the government of Australia,' Mr Reedie told the MPs.
Buckingham Palace confirmed that the Queen has received no invitation to Sydney and said it was a matter for the Australian and Olympic authorities.
© Associated Newspapers Ltd., 05 March 1999