How St Andrews University put its foot down to stop the students selling secrets about Prince William – and struck a special deal to let him have a normal life

• One student was reportedly offered £3,000 for information about the Prince 
• READ MORE: The moment Kate Middleton was ‘left in tears’ when William cancelled their big plans at the last minute..

The former head of St Andrews University, where Prince William met Kate, has revealed details of an agreement with the media to ensure that the heir to the throne enjoyed some privacy.

Dr Brian Lang, Principal and Vice Chancellor at the time, says the press were offered one photo opportunity a term in return for leaving William alone at other times.

But he also issued a stern warning to the prince’s fellow students saying how the university would take a  ‘a very, very dim view of any inappropriate information being passed on [to the press]’ when the Prince arrived in 2001. 

It seemed to work. There was one unconfirmed report of a student being offered £3,000 for information, but there was little intrusion reported during William’s four-year stay on the Scottish coast.

Dr Brian Lang has revealed how Prince William (pictured above during a trip to New York last month) managed to maintain a high level of privacy during his student days 

During university, the Prince (pictured above at his university graduation ceremony)  enjoyed privacy from the press in exchange for one photo opportunity each term 

Speaking to Hello magazine, Dr Lang explained that the university had received solid advice from its then then Lord Rector, broadcaster and former Sunday Times editor Andrew Neil.

Dr Lang had also got a stern message out through the student newspaper that William’s privilege was to be respected.

‘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,’ he said.

‘I think that says a great deal for the student body and staff of St Andrews that nothing inappropriate, nothing significant, was passed on.’ 

This, he said, was despite rumours that one student had been offered as much as £3000 for information about the prince. 

Dr Brian Lang had previously revealed the late Queen Elizabeth II stayed longer than anticipated at Prince William’s university graduation in 2005, explaining that the late Queen stayed longer than first expected so she could chat to other families whose relatives were getting their degrees. 

Dr Brian Lang (pictured) revealed a rumour on campus that students were offered £3,000 for a story about the heir to the throne 

 Her Late Majesty travelled to St Andrews with the late Prince Phillip, King Charles III and Queen Camilla and together they attended a celebratory garden party, mingling with other new graduates and their families. 

Dr Lang said: ‘We had a very, very happy day. The sun shone. There was a little garden party.

‘The late Queen way overstayed the time she was supposed to be in St Andrews.’

He went on to explain that Prince William’s grandmother was very happy to mingle with others at the party and made it clear to staff that she wasn’t going to leave until she was ready.

Source: Read Full Article