Prince William has swapped the rigours of
training with the Welsh Guards in Belize for the
white sands of Mauritius for an "educational
trip", it has been revealed.
A spokesman for St James's Palace said the
prince would be working on an undisclosed
project with the National Geographic Society
on a private trip to the Indian Ocean island.
The news of his trip
emerged when the
palace issued a
statement asking the
media to respect the
prince's privacy during
an "important period of
personal development".
Prince William will be
attending St Andrews
University in 2001 after receiving ABC grades in
his A-levels last month.
The teenager was taking part in exercises with
the Welsh Guards in Belize when told of his
grades.
The palace spokesman
said: "I can confirm
that Prince William is
engaged in an
educational project in
Mauritius for a few
weeks.
"This is a private trip
and the Prince of
Wales would be
grateful, in accordance
with the guidance
issued by the Press
Complaints Commission,
for the media's continuing - and much
appreciated - co-operation in respecting
William's privacy."
The spokesman issued a clear warning to any
part of the media considering intruding on the
trip.
"The presence of paparazzi at any stage may
put in jeopardy the facilities planned for later
in the gap year," he said.
Mauritius is known for its white sandy beaches,
palm trees and stunning mountain scenery.
~*~
US showbiz award for prince (The Guardian)
Prince Edward's work as a TV producer is
to be honoured in the United States, it
was disclosed today. He will be presented
with the Bette Davis special achievement
award at Boston University on September
18.
The Earl of Wessex, 36, founded Ardent
Productions in 1993 and is executive
producer for most of the company's
programmes.
The award was created by actress Bette
Davis's son, Michael Merrill, to honour
excellence in the entertainment industry.
Despite his welcome in the United States,
the earl has not enjoyed such acclaim in
Britain. It was revealed last year that
Ardent had lost £1.7m in the six years
since it was founded.
The earl had said he would not play on his
family connections, but it was his royal
ties which produced his most successful
work, in the documentaries Edward on
Edward and Crown and Country.