While Prince William was getting busy in a Swiss nightclub, critics at home in England say he’s lazy
WHEN Queen Elizabeth gathered the royal family together and trooped along to a church service at Westminster Abbey this week, there was one high-profile absentee – Prince William.
The no-show by the second-in-line to the throne raised eyebrows, as he had attended the event celebrating Commonwealth Day in previous years.
All the other senior royals were there including Prince Charles, Prince Philip and Prince Harry.
So royal watchers were far from impressed when it emerged William, 34, had skived off from the event to attend a beer-fuelled boys’ weekend at a ski resort in Switzerland.
What followed was a storm of condemnation, three days of front-page headlines in the British papers and hours of talkback discussions analysing whether a boozy blowout on the slopes with three of his mates meant William wasn’t fit to be king.
The brouhaha even overshadowed the official visit of William and his wife Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, this weekend to France, made 20 years after William’s mother, Princess Diana, died in a high-speed car accident in Paris.
Managing editor of Majesty magazine, Joe Little, said William would not be permanently damaged by the controversy, but said it was “far from helpful’’.
Little said William ought to have known there would be cameras everywhere to record his every move and misstep.
“It is damaging in some ways,’’ Little said.
He said royal household staff would be experiencing “a touch of deja vu’’, with the incident a repeat of previous boozy outings involving William, and his younger brother, Harry.
The media responded to William’s partying at a luxe hotel in the Swiss ski resort of Verbier, 2½ hours from Geneva, by publishing the Court Circular, the record of official royal engagements.
William, they sniffed, had engaged in royal duties on only 13 days this year to March 13, while his grandmother, the 90year-old Queen Elizabeth, had official engagements on 24 days.
This sparked more headlines and the dusting off of an old moniker: ‘Work-shy Wills’.
Anne, the Princess Royal, had undertaken the most days of royal engagement with 44, while Charles, the Prince of Wales, had 33, 3, Prince Edward the Earl off Wessex had 21, and Camillaa Duchess of Cornwall, 19.
Prince Harry and Prince e Andrew, the Duke of York,k, had 17 days each of royall engagements, while 95- year-old Prince Philip, the e Duke of Edinburgh, and Catherine the Duchess of Cambridge had 12 each.
Little pointed out that t Prince William was not a full-time royal and had a regular job flying an ambulance helicopter.
Indeed, the prince was back in the cockpit on Wednesday, flying the East Anglian Air Ambulance.
“He has got a bit of a reputation but people forget he does have a full- time day job as an ambulance pilot,’’ Little said. “People see him as lazy but he is actually doing other stuff.’’
William and Catherine have already announced plans to relocate from their country home in East Anglia and take up residence with their young children, Prince George, 3, and Princess Charlotte, 1, in Kensington Palace in London from August, to allow William to become a “full-time royal’’ and take on more official duties.
The wild apres-ski party on Monday had all the ingredients for disaster – a long lunch with wine, a late night drinking Jagerbombs (a mixture of beer and Jagermeister spirits), and Guy Pelly, a long-time royal pal and nightclub owner often accused of leading the royals (usually Prince Harry) astray.
Like William, Pelly left his (heavily pregnant) wife back home, leading to gleeful speculation about who will be in more trouble on the domestic front – Pelly or the prince.
The fact that one of the partygoers was a beautiful blonde barmaid and model who has posed topless – leggy Australian Sophie Taylor – added some spice to the story.
By the time photos and video emerged on social media of William d drinking,i ki t tryinging on women’s hats, high-fiving Taylor, putting his hand on a woman’s waist and busting out dance moves, the story was beyond the control of royal aides, who could only watch in horror as it dragged on throughout the week.
William was criticised for missing Commonwealth Day, which acknowledges the importance of the Commonwealth and its 2.5 billion people.
He was accused of being a bad husband for leaving Catherine at home alone to care for their young children.
He was mocked for his daggy “dad dancing”.
Snide accusations about him were made on social media, even though there’s no suggestion his behaviour went any further than dancing, drinking and staying up late.
Little said the prince’s reputation would take a hit, but he would get through it.
“Unfortunately, I’m sure he is livid about it but what can he do,’’ he said.
“Mud sticks, but he will get over it. He will get touched up (by the media) for a few days.’’
In 2012, the “Party Prince’’ – Harry – was photographed naked at a wild party in Las Vegas.
At the time, Harry was furiously criticised but moved on by throwing himself into his royal and military duties, and charity work, and emerged with his reputation as a funloving larrikin enhanced.
“Prince Harry is Tefloncoated, he can get away with anything,’’ Little said.
“Also, he is further away from the throne (in the line of succession).’’
Prince Harry is Tefloncoated, he can get away with anything JOE LITTLE
Little said Prince William should be allowed to let off a bit of steam.
“Like the rest of us, he is entitled to let his hair down a bit,’’ he said. “Give the guy a break and let him get on with it.’’
With Queen Elizabeth about to turn 91, and likely to stay on the throne until she dies, William and Catherine are under enormous pressure as the most popular members of the royal family, along with Prince Harry.
The public have not par- ticularly warmed to the heir to the throne, Prince Charles, and his wife, Camilla, and the “young royals’’, William, Catherine and Harry, are seen as key to ensuring the monarchy survives and thrives into the future.