Prince William's university friends were given this stark warning when he became a student
When the future King became a student at St Andrews the Royal Family and the University carefully ensured the Prince's safety
Prince William's university friends were given a clear warning when the Prince first joined the school, as St Andrews ensured his privacy was respected.
When the Prince of Wales was young, he famously attended St Andrews University in Scotland, where he met and fell in love with his future wife, Catherine, the Princess of Wales. While the university was selected by the Royal Family and the Prince because of the fact that it was situated in a small town rather than a huge city which would come with more safety risks, there were still some major concerns about the Prince going to university.
One major concern was the Prince's privacy, particularly when it came to indulging in the life that university has to typically offer - such as drinking and partying. However, one official from St Andrews has revealed that the students were given a stark warning about attending university with the Prince.
Dr Brian Lang, the Principal and Vice Chancellor of the university during William's time at St Andrew's told Hello! that deals were negotiated with newspapers, and students were given a clear caution.
"Andrew Neil, the Lord Rector of the university, being a very experienced newspaperman, helped us negotiate a deal with the British press, whereupon they would leave William alone in return for a photo opportunity once a semester," Dr Lang said. "And on the whole, that worked."
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"One thing that I did as soon as we knew that William was going to be a student, was to warn the student body that we expected them to respect privacy of information." the former Principal revealed.
"So, I made it quite clear to the students by doing an interview to the student newspaper, in which I made it quite clear that we would take a very, very dim view of any inappropriate information being passed on. Not just about William, but about any other student," he said. "This was not just a privacy issue for William, but for his fellow students as well. The privacy warning and the privacy injunctions were applied to the whole student body. We needed to take care of the privacy of all of the students, all of the staff, as well as William, and again on the whole that worked."
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The educator revealed that this warning and agreement with the press was a success and he was informed that the students were incredibly respectful of the Prince's privacy. "After William had gone, a newspaper editor told me that he was astonished by just how disciplined and how secure the student body had been during William's time. They behaved extremely well."
"I think that says a great deal for the student body and staff of St Andrews that nothing inappropriate, nothing significant, was passed on," he concluded.
Laura is the Entertainment Editor for woman&home who primarily covers television, film, and celebrity news. Laura loves drinking and eating and can often be found trying to get reservations at London's trendiest restaurants. When she's not wining and dining, Laura can also be found travelling, baking, and hiking with her dog.
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