Prince Harry spent his day off from helicopter training to take part in Monday night’s WellChild Children’s Health Awards. The ceremony honored the courage of British children as they dealt with serious illnesses.

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While the children and their parents were thrilled to see the Prince in their midst, there was one child who was not impressed.

“Are you sure you are Prince Harry?” asked six year-old Alex Burke. “Where’s your crown? So you’re not William then?”

Amused, Harry told Alex, “I’m here, you have to make do with me.”

Still unimpressed, the little boy, who suffers from neurofibrosismatosis type 1, then went to blow some bubbles. He continued to do so when the Prince picked him up.

Alex’s mother, Sarah Burke, from Manchester said:  “Alex was loving every minute of it and was not fazed at all to meet Harry. I have been showing him pictures of Harry and his brother, trying to explain who they are but he couldn’t understand why he wasn’t wearing his crown. I just told him that he wasn’t allowed to take it out with him.”

Other children the Prince met with included eight year-old Lucy Tutton, who won the Most Bravest Child award for caring for her ill sister. She sat on Harry’s lap for a brief chat before giving him a flower shaped balloon.

Another was a boy Harry’s brother, Prince William, met with not too long ago during a trip with WellChild. Upon seeing Harry, eight year-old Harrison Holmes gave him a photograph of William, whom he called the “Prince of Cuddles.” He asked Harry to give it to his brother, which Harry indeed promised to do.

Sonjapearl British Royals Awards, Children, Health, Prince Harry

 Prince William showed enthusiasm today as he opened the Darwin Centre at the Natural History Museum.

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He did, however, seem less than enthusiastic when asked to hold a large, hairy tarantula just before the official opening.

The arachnid, an eight-inch wide Mexican Red Kneed named Sarah, was being shown to children at the Attenborough Studio when its minders politely asked the Prince if he would like to hold her.

“Ooh, I would love to,” William said, though he certainly didn’t sound like it. But he did hold the tarantula calmly for about a minute.

The Prince later joked about his experience when he opened the Darwin Centre.

“Just to warn you,” he told the audience, “that there is a spider loose somewhere in the Cocoon. It was given to me, and I seem to have lost it. If you see it, it goes by the name of Sarah.”

William admitted he was “petrified” as he held Sarah.

The Natural History Museum’s Darwin Centre is a new 78 million pound section dedicated to the work of Charles Darwin. Both Prince William and naturalist Sir David Attenborough officially opened it.

“I remember coming here first as a child with my mother,” the Prince said in his speech. “Millions of others will have shared with me that same sense of awe and wonder and just a shiver of something more as you step off the street, through the doors, to stare into the beady eye of the blue whale or the terrifying eye socket of a T. Rex. A moment never to be forgotten — especially when everything is a lot bigger than you.”

At one point during the centre’s opening, William stopped by the laboratory, put on a white coat and gloves and was given a demonstration on how scientists work with mosquitoes in order to fight diseases such as malaria.

Sonjapearl British Royals Animals, Charles Darwin, Prince William

“Delighted,” is the word to describe Prince Harry these days. On Sunday, it was revealed that he passed his basic helicopter pilot course with flying colors.

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This, after he has completed the required 40 hours of the course, where he learned to land and take-off, as well as handling some emergencies.

Now, the third in line to the throne could move on to learning to operate a military helicopter during dangerous weather, night flying, and more advanced handling methods and emergency drills. That will also take another 40 hours.

Harry would also get a chance to fly a Lynx helicopter, his preferred flying machine.

“I think the Lynx is more challenging, it’s more my cup of tea than the Apache,” he told reporters back in June.

“That’s how I feel but that might change halfway though.” However, he added: “I’ll fly wherever I’m told to fly.”

It is believed that Prince Harry initially failed his first attempt in the course back in February.

The Prince spent 10 weeks fighting in Afghanistan from late 2007 into early 2008. He has expressed interest in returning to combat, although the Daily Telegraph reports that Lynx helicopters do not see too much action.

If Harry continues on course, he will get in his wings in March 2010.

Sonjapearl British Royals Military Training, Prince Harry

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 After taking a striking photograph of Queen Elizabeth II, photographer Rankin will now aim his lenses at her two grandsons, Princes William and Harry.

“I think that Prince William and Prince Harry are amazing,” he told the Telegraph. “I would absolutely love to photograph them. For me, it’s not about celebrity or the privilege into which you were born. They have an incredibly difficult life and I think they carry it out with dignity. Obviously, I treat people with respect if they have earned it.”

The last time the royal brothers sat for any photographer, was for John Wonnacott. Wonnacott took a group picture to mark the 100th birthday celebrations for the princes’ late great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.

Sonjapearl British Royals Portraits, Prince Harry, Prince William

 Prince William went hiking through England’s countryside Friday, in the name of charity.

Six teenagers from Centrepoint, an organization which helps homeless youths, and members of Mountain Rescue, a volunteer run charity, joined the future King in a trek up Helvellyn, a mountain in the Cumbria region of northeastern England.

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Prince William did this to help the teens get a different view of life.

“A lot of these guys have never done anything like this so it is a real challenge for them and I have really enjoyed meeting them,” he said, according to the Daily Mail.

The location of the hike of kept secret until today. Therefore, other hikers who were not part of the group were surprised to see a Prince go by.

But according to Andy Simpson, the spokesman of Mountain Rescue, William stopped to chat with those hikers.

“It was nice to see him engaging with so many members of the public. They just happened to be out for a walk and it’s just made their day,” Simpson said.

Once reaching Helvellyn’s top, the Prince and his team raised a flag to mark three years until the start of the 2012 Summer Olympics, taking place in London.

Those who trekked with Prince William were a bit taken aback by how down-to-earth he is.

“I didn’t know he was coming until last night but he was a lot more down-to-earth than I expected, he was canny.” said Johnny Glendinning.

At the end, William praised the folks of Mountain Rescue.

“These men and women are unsung heroes. They are up and down these mountains rescuing people with broken legs every day.”

Sonjapearl British Royals Prince William, Sport

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 The second-in-line to the British throne was called to the bench on Monday. Prince William went to London’s Middle Temple, where he was made an honorary barrister.

He is the sixth member of the royal family to be made a member of the bar. The list also includes his great-grandmother, the Queen Mother, and his late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales.

The Prince told a little about himself in an opening ceremony. “I play football, rugby and water polo, not very well, but particularly pride myself in being a quite magnificent armchair centre-back at football and flanker at rugby.”

William also made a vow to the 300 guests in attendance.

“And now you have made me a barrister – I promise not to practice, except for the odd speeding ticket.”

Prince William wore a gown for the ceremony. He was alone, with no member of the royal family attending with him. But his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, did send her wishes.

“I regret that I am unable to be with you this evening for your call to the Bench which follows in the tradition of Royal Benchers established at Middle Temple for my great-grandfather, the Prince of Wales, in 1861.”

Sonjapearl British Royals Prince William

 Prince Harry spent his second and final day in New York doing more fun events than on Friday, where he laid a wreath at Ground Zero and met with war veterans.

Saturday however saw him mingle with Harlem students and participate in the sport of kings – polo.

In the morning, Prince Harry went up to Harlem with fellow royal Prince Seeiso of Lesotho to the Harlem Children’s Zone. The project offers free programs and classes to low-income children. Harry spent some time chatting with the students.

A 10-year-old girl sitting at a desk covered with drawing paper and colored markers gave Harry a picture.

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“Is this for me?” Harry asked as he accepted it. Pointing to the desk and pens, he then asked, “You find yourself very lucky to have all this?” When she nodded, he replied “Good.”

After the tour of Harlem, Prince Harry geared up for an afternoon of polo. The Prince participated at the 2nd Annual Veuve Clicquot Manhattan Polo Classic on Governor’s Island, which benefited his charity, Sentebale.

Before playing, Prince Harry gave a speech about the reason for setting up Sentebale (pronounced Sen-TEE-bah-LAY) with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho. Read more…

Sonjapearl British Royals Official Visit, Polo, Prince Harry, Sentebale, Sport, United States of America

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 Britain’s Prince Harry is in New York City for the next 36 hours. He arrived in the Big Apple earlier today.

The third in line to the British throne is here to raise money for his charity, Sentebale, and pay his respects to those who died in the 9/11 terror attacks.

The latter was the first event on Harry’s agenda for Friday. He stopped by Ground Zero, and met with New York Governor David Patterson and a few relatives of those who were killed that day. Harry then laid wreath on the fence that surrounds the deep hole where the World Trade Center once stood. The Prince then took a step back, and bowed his head for a moment of silence.

He left a handwritten note tacked to the wreath, citing an “admiration of the courage shown by the people.”

Later on, Prince Harry moved to Hanover Square, to the renamed British Garden, to plant a magnolia bush in memory of the 67 Britons who died on 9/11.

Next, Harry would go to the Veteran’s Medical Center to tour its prosthetics lab and meet some veterans. Prince Harry himself is a veteran in a sense. He fought for 10 weeks in Afghanistan in early 2008.

Tomorrow, the Prince will go to Harlem with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho to check out community building programs. After that, he is going to take part in one of his favorite activities – playing polo on Governor’s Island.

The event which is attracting many celebrities and VIPs, will raise money for Harry’s Sentebale charity which helps children in the Lesotho, a small kingdom in southern Africa.

This visit to New York is part of a PR project to fix the Prince’s wild boy image. Despite his charity works and service in Afghanistan, Harry is best known for alcohol fueled parties and racially insensitive incidents over the years.

Sonjapearl British Royals Official Visit, Prince Harry, United States of America

 Royal brothers Princes William and Harry are hoping that their country will be the host of two major sporting events – the Rugby World Cup in 2015 and the Football World Cup in 2018 or 2022.

So eager are they, that the two made separate videos promoting the UK as the site for the events.

In William’s video, he explains, “England’s love for the game is world renowned, football is in our blood. I believe with England’s great passion for the game we will stage a World Cup to remember forever. A first-class festival of football.”

As for Harry’s video, he says, “you will have already heard about how we in England will give the game of rugby a truly global profile with our world class stadium and outstanding facilities for players and supporters. All of it will leave a long lasting legacy in this rugby-loving nation.”

It should be noted that Prince William is the president of the football association in Great Britain.

To see Prince William’s video, click here.

To see Prince Harry’s video, click here .

Sonjapearl British Royals Prince Harry, Prince William, Soccer, Sport

Sonjapearl British Royals Prince William, Soccer, Sport