Prince William, More Than a "Party Prince"
This story was filed by CBSNews.com's London-based entertainment contributor Neil Sean.
Speaking recently at an exclusive event at Buckingham Place, he challenged critics who suggest he's nothing more than a "party Prince," laying out how he sees his future.
The future King of England revealed he plans to continue with all of his charitable work, and that of his late mother, Princess Diana, but that he intends to do it "on my own terms."
"I won't be doing anything other than the way I know how, and, in my view, the most effective way to get results," said the prince.
The Prince is also stepping up his effort to become a powerful voice for his other passion; soccer. Many were surprised to learn that William, who is also president of the English Football association, has been effectively sidelined in the U.K.'s bid to bring the prestigious FA Cup championship to England in 2018.
The Prince has renewed his interest in the event and has vowed to do "whatever it takes" to make sure England wins the contest in 2010 to host the 2018 Cup.
Insiders close to the Prince say he's stunned that big names like his own and that of David Beckham have yet to be sought in the campaign to win the championship.
It appears that Prince William has finally landed one significant backer. The vice president of the International Football Federation, Jack Warner, recently said more should be done to, "use the jewels in our crown, and sporting heroes like David Beckham, to win this bid".
Feeling the Pain of the Poor:
Meanwhile, elaborate plans for a holiday season romantic break for William and girlfriend Kate Middleton seem to have hit a hitch.
It's all down to cost. Her Majesty The Queen, known to William simply as mother, is keen to show a united front with her subjects as they face Britain's longest and deepest recession in decades.
Queen Elizabeth II deems world travel for leisure, which, for the royals also incurs huge tax-payer costs for security, "unnecessary".
Prince William may understand why his vacation plans have been thrown out the window, but now he has to break the news to Kate.
It's been reported that The Queen recently attended a performance of the hit play "War Horse" in London's West End with Prince Philip - sneaking into the theater just as the lights went down.
The royal couple was apparently thrilled to finally see the production, and I can tell you, it wasn't the first clandestine theater mission for the Queen and her husband.
They've also snuck into theaters this year to join unsuspecting drama lovers for performances of "Mamma Mia" and "An Inspector Calls".
A source tells me that Britain's official head of state and her man "are great theater goers and love sneaking off at the last minute for a play if time allows."
By Neil Sean