The heat is clearly getting to Prince William as sweat pours from his brow during his tour of QueenslandWith his mind very much on his impending wedding, Prince William could perhaps be excused for occasionally feeling a little warm under the collar.
But on a tour of Queensland, Australia, yesterday his normal healthy glow turned to a Royal flush as he struggled to cope in 95F heat.
Visibly wilting with sweat pouring from his forehead, the Prince managed to hold on to his sense of humour and quipped: ‘I’m from England. I’m far too pasty. I need some sunshine.’
The Prince, on a five-day tour of Australia and New Zealand, has been dubbed ‘the Prince of Hearts’ in the north-east of Queensland, which in February was devastated by some of the worst cyclones and flooding in Australia’s history.
He struggled to cope with the heat during a walkabout in Cairns, but told admirers: ‘It’s much nicer down here. The weather at home is dreadful.’
He has wowed the Australians by dressing casually for most of the trip in lightweight trousers and an open- necked pale blue shirt, and insisting on being addressed by his first name.
Unlike his father, who often travels with an extensive team of aides, William has only a small entourage.
An aide said: ‘William likes to keep things simple. He doesn’t want to wear a suit unless he has to and he likes to keep things relaxed. That’s his own way and how he likes things.’
Jim Nicholson, 68, president of the Cardwell Lions community group, said: ‘He’s a really normal, casual chap. He calls you by your first name just like his mother used to do. Diana would have been the proudest woman in the world if she’d been here today.’
Martin Taylor, 40, officer in charge of the Queensland Ambulance service, said: ‘He’s a leader, you can tell by his stature. We chatted about the recovery stage and he was very understanding.’
Earlier he spoke to people who lost their homes and livelihoods and chatted with the emergency services as he visited the ravaged towns of Cardwell and Tully.
His second port of call was to the Royal Flying Doctor service in Cairns. Then his whistlestop tour took him on to a reception with volunteers from the Red Cross and the emergency services who helped during the disaster.
William has wowed the Australians by dressing casually for most of the trip in lightweight trousers and an open- necked pale blue shirt, and insisting on being addressed by his first name
The Prince is warmly received in the flood ravaged town of Cardwell and chatted with residents who lost their homes and livelihoodsPrince William sparked excitement earlier in the day when he mentioned returning to the country for his honeymoon.
He made the comment on a visit to Cairns' cruise ship terminal during what some people have dubbed his 'disaster tour'.
After visiting Christchurch, New Zealand, the prince arrived in Queensland, Australia, today where he visited people affected by Cyclone Yasi.
He went to the coastal towns of Cardwell and Tully, before meeting excited locals at the cruise ship terminal, where he sparked hysteria.
William, who is to marry fiancee Kate Middleton on April 29, met Briton Tania Moore, 39, who moved to the area 10 years ago from Winchester.
She said: 'He asked me what I'd be up to today and I said, 'Oh I've been up to the Great Barrier Reef with my kids. It's just stunning - you should go there. Will you get to see it?.'
He reaches out to shake hands with Jane Machin, five, as he leaves the community hall in the town of Cardwell. The youngster had written a sign reading 'Welcome William Our Shining Prince'
Proud Jane shows off the sign she made to welcome the town's royal visitorMs Moore, who met the prince with her son Alex, seven, and five-year-old daughter Jessica, said he replied: 'No I wanted too, but I won't have time.'
'Then he was asking about the visibility under water, what type of fish we saw on the reef,' she said.
'This man will be king one day and there he was asking about my day at the beach.
'I asked him when he was going to come back and he said, 'well we might have to come back for our honeymoon!' Everyone started shrieking and applauding.'
The Prince promised wellwishers he would return, and told them: ‘I love scuba-diving. I have always wanted to dive the Barrier Reef. I will have to come back and maybe honeymoon in Cairns. You are all invited to the wedding. I expect to see you all there. I want to see lots of Aussie flags outside the Abbey.
‘I’ve missed all the preparations in the past week.’
Despite flagging in the heat, the Prince told The Mail on Sunday he was coping well.
He said: ‘I’m doing really well and feeling great. Not too much jet-lag, thank goodness.’
Yesterday’s visit was 28 years to the day since Prince Charles and Diana visited Australia with William as a nine-month-old baby.
Source:dailymail
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