Duke of Kent

Willaim at Scout Jamboree

Tape no. 28-07-07/1

Location:

As his father, Prince Charles, has been heard to muse when reflecting on life as a working royal: "The things I do for England". And so it was that Prince William found himself spending part of Saturday wearing a multi-coloured neckerchief, playing the bongo drums and guiding a masked figure through an obstacle course! The summer months usually see the second in line to the throne spending many of his weekends on the polo field. This Saturday, however, duty beckoned as William joined up with the Queen's first cousin, the Duke of Kent, for an official engagement in Essex. As you can watch for yourself in the the exclusive, light-hearted video of highlights from Calyx TV, the day saw the future King joining in the high jinks at the opening of the 21st World Scout Jamboree in Chelmsford, details of which you may have read here earlier in the week. 25-year-old William and the 71-year-old Duke - an earlier generation of Prince Edward - represented the generations as they appeared at the event which sees young and not-so-young alike from nations across the globe coming together to celebrate the history of the scouting movement. as well as promote and celebrate the traditions and values of one of the proudest youth organisations. This was William’s first significant public engagement for some time, the past few months having seen the Prince continuing his army training away from the public spotlight. No sooner had the star of the show arrived in style aboard a private helicopter than his own sense of style was given a dramatic transformation as he was encouraged to become an honorary scout by donning the multi-coloured neckerchief, the symbol of the scouting movement. While the Duke of Kent offered a more formal royal presence, William was soon into the spirit of things as he met scouts from across the globe and joined in some of the activities, including a brief spell on some drums and a game of catch. It's believed that the Prince will soon be undertaking more and more official engagements as he comes towards the end of an army career which, in reality, was never destined to see him serve on the frontline. However, before then there'll be plenty more opportunities for William and Harry to return to the polo field for a few more chukkas before duty truly does take over their lives. Unfortunately for fans of the brothers, though, it's believed neither of the princes will be at the Cartier International Polo Tournament in Windsor later today (Sunday), at which the Queen will be presenting the prizes.