William on Eton, girls and life at 16
By David Graves
PRINCE William, who will be 16 tomorrow, has followed his father's keen interest in art, he says today in his first major media interview. He will take one of his three A-levels at Eton in the history of art.
The Prince, who will celebrate his birthday quietly with friends, will also study geography and biology at A-level, after sitting 12 GCSEs this year and last year. But he is undecided about which university and degree course to choose.
The Prince says he is enjoying Eton, but that he is not always comfortable in the spotlight. Sometimes he finds it difficult to deal with the adulation of teenage girls. His interest in art will delight the Prince of Wales. Sketching and watercolours have long been one of his enthusiasms and he has frequently gone to Tuscany to paint.
The Prince's education plans are disclosed in an interview with the Press Association news agency, which submitted written questions. His answers were returned by St James's Palace, with previously unpublished details of his earlier life, to enable media organisations to publish more information than usual about him to coincide with his birthday.
Although carefully monitored by palace officials, the information gives a relatively rare insight into the Prince's thinking and attitudes. A Palace spokesman said that the Prince of Wales was happy for his son to give the interview, as the media had largely respected his privacy since he went to Eton and particularly since the death of his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales.
The decision to allow the interview has not prevented the Prince from making a formal complaint to the Press Complaints Commission over a Mail on Sunday supplement about him. A spokesman has described the supplment as "grossly intrusive and inaccurate".
Although Prince William's first birthday without his mother could be a poignant time for him, he says he plans to spend the day with friends and will speak to his family by telephone. Talking of Eton, he says he likes the college's distinctive uniform of tailcoat and striped trousers. He describes himself as a keen sportsman who likes rugby, football, swimming, water polo and tennis.
Asked about his favourite pastime, he says he particularly likes action-adventure fiction and non-fiction. He also enjoys action films at the cinema. The Prince has a black Labrador bitch called Widgeon and shares the Royal Family's love of horses.
One of his ambitions is to go on safari in Africa to see big game in the wild. Because of commitments at Eton, he missed out when his younger brother, Prince Harry, went on safari in Botswana last year.
Like most teenagers, the Prince says he enjoys pop music, particularly techno, but also listens to classical composers. His taste in food is wide and, illustrating the somewhat ordinary life he leads away from the rest of the family, he says he likes simple dishes and fast food. He is able to shop for himself and likes modern styles of clothing.
It is clear from the interview that Prince William is quickly learning the skills of diplomacy and the advantages of keeping his own counsel in certain matters. For example, he refuses to express a public preference for a particular pop group or to discuss his friends at Eton.
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