ABC screens Prince William movie

ABC broadcast the TV movie Prince William on 29th September 2002. William was played by Jordan Frieda, the son of the singer Lulu. Jordan Frieda went to school at Eton College five years before William.

Everyone in ABC's Prince William is sympathetic. Prince Charles is a warm and caring father. Queen Elizabeth is a kindly white-haired granny who enjoys meeting William's schoolfriends. Camilla Parker Bowles is a sweetie, so flustered when she encountered William while pulling off her riding boots that the most historic thing she can think of to say is: "Glad to finally meet you." Harry is William's perfect little brother.

And William himself? If it weren't for him Diana would never have had a royal funeral and the Queen would never have made that TV speech about the princess. William is shown urging the royal family to abandon protocol following Diana's death and recognise the mood of the nation. He tells Queen Elizabeth: "Please Granny, the whole country thinks we don't care. Please do something."

Jordan Frieda
The TV movie begins on 31st August 1997, when William and Harry (Eddie Cooper) are woken in the middle of the night and sense that something bad has happened. Eventually Charles (Martin Turner) comes into their room, says: "I'm afraid I have some dreadful news," and proceeds to tell them about Diana's death a few hours before in the car accident in Paris.

The film follows William, who is now 20 and was 15 when Diana died, through his return to school at Eton, the premiere of the Spice Girls movie, his 16th birthday (back to the pub), his driving test, his fury over tabloid headlines like "Wills the Party Prince". William complains to Charles about being followed around by bodyguards and that "he couldn't get a decent snog".

The movie answers the burning question, "How does the eventual heir to the British throne pick up girls at a club?" Easy, he says: "Hi, I'm Leonardo DiCaprio."

William can't stand the press attention. But Charles (who in the movie is an emotionally unrepressed and open dad) gently explains that the press is a necessary evil. "They're just people doing their job," he tells William. "Reporters and photographers are always going to be a part of your life. The sooner you accept it, the better."

"Don't you understand?" he continues, in a tender voice. "You remind them of your mother."

In one nightclub scene, the actress playing socialite Tara Palmer-Tomkinson flashes her breasts to William, saying: "You didn't notice that I had breasts before. Have a proper look."

On 23rd June 2002 the UK newspaper The Mail on Sunday declared that the movie portrayed Prince William as a drunken, drug-taking, manipulative waster. It said it had obtained a copy of the script.

It said the drama would be called Fathers and Sons.

The Mail on Sunday said the movie showed a succession of scenes including drug taking, underage drinking and invented family tensions. In one scene, William broke into the Buckingham Palace wine cellar. In another, William threw up over a wall after drinking too much.

It said Charles, William and Harry were shown frequently swearing at each other in Buckingham Palace.

One of William's bodyquards was known as 'Squiggy', in reference to 'Squidgy', James Gilbey's nickname for Princess Diana.

It also said that one scene showed Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles surprised in Buckingham Palace in a state of undress. It also claimed the movie included a scene of a nude William in a shower.

William was also shown as being manipulative. In one scene he asked Charles for a car, saying: "Mum would give me one."

In another scene the newspaper claimed he argued with a bodyguard who said to him: "Your mum's death will only buy you sympathy for being a wanker for so long."

Prince William was directed by Michael Watkins; Bonnie Raskin, executive producer; Keith Thompson, producer; Morgan O'Sullivan and James Flynn, co-producers; teleplay by Max Enscoe and Annie deYoung; music by John Nordstrom; edited by Ann E Holbrook. The movie was produced by Fox Television Studios. The movie was filmed on location in Ireland.

Cast: Jordan Frieda (Prince William), Martin Turner (Prince Charles), Thomas Lockyer (Tony), Eddie Cooper (Prince Harry), Thom Fell (James Clavier), Carolyn Pickles (Camilla Parker Bowles), Daphne Oxenford (Queen Mother) and Rosemary Leach (Queen Elizabeth).