Prince William went by a surprising nickname in a bid to fly under the radar while at university, reports suggest. The Prince of Wales has been in the public eye since birth, but was granted a temporary reprieve during his time at St Andrews University, when news outlets agreed not to publish any paparazzi shots of him. In a further effort to avoid drawing attention among his classmates, William is thought to have gone the name of Steve during his four-year Master of Arts (MA) course in Geography.
Princess Kate, whom he met during his first year, was likely among the friends who referred to him by the nickname to help him lead as normal a life as possible, WalesOnline reports. William initially studied Art History at the Scottish university, alongside his future wife, before switching to Geography ahead of his graduation in June 2005.
The prince’s preference for a private life has persisted into his adult life, with a desire to keep his children and wife safe from unwanted intrusion well-publicised over the years.
Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond told The Mirror William is “almost obsessive” about his three children’s privacy and “is much more a protective husband and dad than a King in waiting”.
“After a childhood spent shuffling between the homes of his quarrelling parents, William is determined to give his family the stability he missed,” she said.
“He is almost obsessive about guarding his family’s privacy. And the fact is that they can have a great deal more privacy in a secluded house in Windsor Great Park than they could ever enjoy if they live in the middle of a major tourist attraction like the Palace or the Castle.”
Ms Bond added that it was likely a priority for William that his young children “know exactly what a comfy and settled home life feels like” – something that “he never had before he married”.
William and Kate moved from the smaller Adelaide Cottage to an eight-bedroom mansion in Windsor called Forest Lodge last summer.
The Prince and Princess of Wales’ relative privacy hasn’t impacted their public standing, with the couple voted the two most popular royals in a recent poll featured in Channel 5 documentary The Royal Popularity List.
The documentary found that both William and Kate, who were separated by just one point, are widely viewed as “warm and understanding”.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.express.co.uk ’
