Balding Crown Worries Prince William

(CBS)  Britain's Prince William celebrates his 26th birthday Saturday and, as the years tick by, it's evident that his life is starting to change.

Midway through his military training, William is taking part in more and more charity events and going to nightclubs less and less, reports CBS News correspondent Elizabeth Palmer.

Partly, says Palmer, it's that William is being actively groomed for a dignified career as a royal figurehead.

Partly, though, it's just the natural downside of aging.

"I don't think it's a huge secret," Mail on Sunday reporter Katie Nicholl told Palmer, "that he is terribly worried about his thinning hair. He's a very strapping, handsome chap, but he does seem to have this problem with the back of his head, particularly, where it's thinning out."

So, says Palmer, former party boy William will celebrate this birthday discretely with his girlfriend, Kate Middleton, and a dozen or so close friends, well out of the public eye at Highgrove, the family estate.

For the occasion, Prince Charles is said to have given William the key to the extensive wine cellar.

Although, Palmer points out, William's favorite tipple is something called a "crack baby."

"It's served in a little shot glass," Nicholl says, "and it's fresh passion fruit, mixed with vodka and champagne, and I'm told they'll be reprising those at the bar at Highgrove and serving them to him at the party on Saturday night."

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Photos: Wills Wings It

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That could make for a rough Sunday morning, Palmer says, when William is slated to roll out of bed early to play polo.

To see Palmer's report, click on the arrow in the image below:

[bradosol]

Sorry, there was another British news story besides Prince William''s bald patch.

It was about the annual gathering of assorted nutters at Stonehenge - modern people who''ve claimed the place as their own, even though nobody knows why Stonehenge was built in the the first place. It might just be the memorial to a long-forgotten war lord and nothing to do with the sun at all.

I suppose this story might be very, very slightly more interesting to most British people than Prince William''s hair!

[bradosol]

As a British admirer of America, most days I read the list of world news stories on CBS.

Quite rightly, there''s coverage of disaster, heroism, politics, etc. - with comments invited.

But today the only report from Britain is that Prince William has a bald patch.

I''m a hundred per cent certain that most British people couldn''t care less, and I can''t imagine why anyone in the U.S. would either!

[dobbershome]

Losing your hair sucks unless your a prince.

[barbaram99]

Happy Birthday HRH William. Don''t worry about the hair thinning. It is no big thing.

[dobbershome]

Are you kidding me? This guy has the world by the bal-s and he''s worried about his hair.Mayb someone should tell him he can still sleep with any woman he want''s.

[Skyward459]

As my father use to say...the best way to save your hair is in a shoebox!

[rushlimpdrug]

Hair today.

Gone tomorrow.

[lowell43]

You also have Hair Restoration, a major competiter of Bosley. They are both good and it''s your hair.

[fuzzybear9]

Hello America

why prince willy is going bald ! how terrible ! what a ghastly sad story about the finances of the British Crown, down to their last farthing for health care !

but I would like the World to get back to discussing my Big Toe !

lets see, oh yes the Toe

well after some pursuassion I took my big toe that got caught in a chain saw, down to the Walk in ER (not the name), I just love the gastly look the receptionist gives, when you tell her you caught your Big toe in a chain saw!

anyway the Doctor was mad because I didn`t bring it in immediately, she said that she could have sewed it up, What is it with you men?
any way so a Nurse #1 with a turtle smock gives me two shots a tetnus, and sumthin, then proceeds to flush a toe that has already closed itself with no success, Fuzzy did a really thourough cleaning,

then Nurse #2 the little meany, wheels Fuzzy into the sterilization chamber gives me a lead loin cloth and blasts me with high energy photons (x-rays),
which probably killed any bacteria.

then Nurse #3 (hindu) comes in and puts a bandge on my toe,

then Doctor she comes back in and says your x-ray looks clean, but we need to see big toe in a couple of days, then she asks if I want any pain killers on my prescription and I say no, Fuzzy is impervious to pain.

so after 4 hours, 3 x-rays, and two pin pricks,
and $20 deductible

that was my exciting day at the ER. with my Big Toe

sincerely Fuzzy Bear

[funkiwiteboy]

he stood up to his daddy for his momma i liked that