Prince Charming

William's success at Eton is very different from his father's experiences as a teenager, and that has helped him develop leadership skills he'll need as king. Charles has said that he was miserable at Gordonstoun, his no-frills boarding school in Scotland, and was bullied by classmates. But if Charles was the kid everyone picked on, William at 18 appears to be the quintessential cool guy whom everyone wants to befriend--regardless of his royal status. He was elected to the Eton Society, or "Pop," as the school prefects are called. That entitled him to impose fines on younger boys who broke school rules. It also meant he got to wear a special uniform, including vests of his own design (he favored a Union Jack and polka-dot motifs).

In the official interview released with the birthday photos, William seemed wistful when he talked about his experiences at Eton and the ever more intense media attention he anticipates in the future. "I have particularly appreciated being left alone at Eton, which has allowed me to concentrate on my schoolwork and enjoy being with my friends without being followed by cameras," he says. "I hope I can enjoy the same freedom at university."

That doesn't seem likely. After Diana's death, nobody wanted to inflict more grief on the two suddenly motherless boys who walked silently behind the flower-decked coffin. Buckingham Palace and Fleet Street agreed that coverage of the young princes would be restricted to authorized photo ops. But many reporters think an 18-year-old is fair game--especially an 18-year-old who could be king. "There are certain things the public has a right to know," says Richard Kay, a respected royals correspondent for the Daily Mail. "We pay an awful lot of money for the upkeep of the family."

At a university, there's a lot more potential than there was at Eton for William to be exposed in a compromising position; girlfriends, parties, even his grades could all be tabloid fodder. Fear of publicity may be one reason William's first choice for university is reported to be Edinburgh in Scotland rather than Oxford or Cambridge, his father's alma mater. "I think William is attracted by the distance from London," says Kay. "It will deter all but the hardiest of paparazzi. They're very metropolitan. They need good restaurants, especially the French."

Although other universities have been mentioned as well, including East Anglia and St. Andrew's, many royal watchers are betting on Edinburgh because it's known for its history-of-art program, and William, who had an internship at a London art dealer in 1999, has said that's what he wants to study. He'll have plenty of time for classes because his father has decided that he won't have any royal duties, like opening hospitals or sponsoring charities. In fact, the only change in his official status is that he could be addressed as "Your Royal Highness." William won't actually know if he's been accepted until the results of his entrance exams are released in late August--although no one thinks a university would really turn down an heir to the throne over a mere trifle like an exam score.

Even if he's admitted, William says he won't start this fall. Instead, he'll take what the British call a "gap year," time off to see the world. That could give him a few more months of privacy if he chooses (as have other members of the family) to work on a ranch or farm in a remote part of Australia or Canada--perhaps to get to know the commonwealth he may one day preside over. In the birthday interview, he said he wanted to keep the details private until all the arrangements have been made.