Prince William said, I don’t want to be an ornament

Prince William

Prince William said he does not want to be “an ornament” in his royal duties and has paid tribute to the charitable work of his parents, saying he was “not in their league”.
The prince made his comments at a forum where his chosen charities can meet and collaborate on joint projects.

The prince admitted “there is a place” for shaking hands on official visits but said the new forum “is an example of where I want to be more involved” rather than just “turning up and opening things”. He also claimed he was still learning from the example of his parents, the Prince of Wales or the late Diana, Princess of Wales.

“What I try to do is take the best bits of my mother’s charitable work and the best bits of my father’s charitable work and do them both together,” said the prince. “I’m not in their league, but I’m warming up, hopefully, and I’m trying to do what I can.”

He added that he was also influenced by his grandmother, the Queen. “How she’s gone about things and how she cares about areas of life and people is particularly important,” he said.

The organisations supported by Prince William and his brother, Prince Harry, are diverse, ranging from the homelessness charity, Centrepoint, and the Welsh Rugby Union to the Henry van Straubenzee Memorial Fund, which is building state primary schools in Uganda in memory of a schoolfriend of Prince Harry who died in a car accident.

The princes are understood to be focusing on three themes in their charity work: young people, sustainable development, and supporting injured soldiers.

In July, Prince William scaled Helvellyn, England’s third highest mountain, with young people from Centrepoint and Mountain Rescue volunteers, bringing together two organisations for which he provides support. Among those taking part was Jonny Glendinning, a formerly homeless 18-year-old. “People see him for the fact he’s got 19 piercings, but he’s nothing like he looks,” said the prince. “It’s people like that I want to relate to. They have fantastic character and they just need opportunity and hope and confidence.”

telegraph.co.uk