Prince William has confessed that his son Prince George is "a little bit of a rascal" who reminds William of himself and his cheeky brother Prince Harry when they were younger.
Speaking to CNN’s Max Foster, he said that life has changed significantly since the birth of his first child with his wife Kate Middleton. "I think the last few weeks for me have been just a very different emotional experience," he said. "Something I never thought I would feel myself. And I find, again it’s only been a short period, but a lot of things affect me differently now.
The Prince also spoke of the moment when he and Kate presented their newborn child to the world on the steps outside the Lindo Wing at St Mary’s Hospital. “I think I was on such a high anyway, and so was Catherine about George that really we were happy to show him off to whoever wanted to see him," he said. "As any new parent knows, you’re only too happy to show off your new child and, you know, proclaim that he is the best looking or the best everything."
The interview is part of a one-hour documentary Prince William's Passion: New Hope, New Father which will be screened on CNN International on 16 SeptemberRead the transcript of the chat with CNN's Max Foster below.
What was it like outside the hospital?
"I think more shock and dauntingness was the feeling I felt (laughing), but it was, the thing is it's um, I think I was on such a high anyway, and so was Catherine about George that really we were happy to show him off to whoever wanted to see him. As any new parent knows, you're only too happy to show off your new child and, you know, proclaim that he is the best looking or the best at everything.
You were comfortable there?
"Yeah, I felt, again it's, it's not somewhere I enjoy being, I know that the position I'm in that's what's required of me to do. And I think it's, you know, it’s one of those things, I'm, you know, it's nice that people want to see George, so, you know – I’m just glad he wasn't screaming his head off the whole way through (laughing)."
That moment when you came out with the car seat. I mean, we had some warning that you might be doing that. Um, fathers around the planet will be cursing you for doing it so easily.
(Laughing) "Believe me, it wasn't my first time. And I know there’s been speculation about that. I had to practice, I really did. I was terrified that I was going to do some, you know, it was going to fall off or it wasn't going to close properly. So, I had actually practiced with that seat, but only once before. "
And your decision to drive off, I remember that moment as well.
"That was the most nerve-wracking thing for me, having my family in the car. But that was something that you were clearly determined to do… "Well, it's, I, where I can be I am as independent as, as I want to be. And same as Catherine and Harry. We’ve all grown up, um, differently to other generations. And I very much feel if I can do it myself I want to do it myself. And there are times where you can’t do it yourself and the system takes over or it’s appropriate to do things differently. But, I think driving your son and your wife away from, from hospital was really important to me. And I don't like fuss so it’s much easier to just do it your self. "
And you didn't stall.
"I didn't stall, well it's an automatic so it's alright."
The interpretation of the imagery we saw there, which went around the world was that this was a modern monarchy and a new way of monarchy, but was it that? Are we reading too much into it? Is it just you doing it your way? Are you and your wife doing it your own way?
"I think so, and I'm just doing it the way I know this, you know, if it's the right way then brilliant, if it’s not, if it's the wrong way then I'll try to do it better, but…no, I just, I'm quite…I’m reasonably headstrong about what I believe in, and what I go for, and I've got fantastic people around me who give me great support and advice."
The baby is already quite a character…
"Well, yeah – he's a little bit of a rascal, put it that way. So he either reminds me of my brother or me when I was younger. I’m not sure. But, um he's uh, no, he’s uh, he’s doing very well at the moment. He's, he does like to keep having his nappy changed, and…
Did you do the first nappy?
"I did the first nappy, yeah. Exactly."
A badge of honour…
"A badge of honour, exactly. I wasn’t allowed to get away with that. I had every midwife staring at me, “You do it. You do it”. // But, uh, no, he’s, he’s a little, he’s growing quite quickly actually. But he's a little fighter. He kind of, he wriggles around quite a lot. And he doesn't want to go to sleep that much, which is a little bit of a problem. But he's…"
So you're up a little bit at night.
"A little bit. Not as much as Catherine. But, um, you know, she’s doing a fantastic job. "
How is she?
"Yes, very well, yeah. For me, Catherine, and now little George are my priorities. And Lupo. Um, and so…"
I was going to ask you about Lupo. How’s Lupo coping?
"He's coping all right, actually. As a lot of people know who have got dogs and bringing newborns back, they take a little bit of time to adapt, but, no he’s been all right so far. He's been slobbering sort of around the house a bit, so he’s perfectly happy."
And how are you about going back to work?
"Well, as a few fathers might know, I'm actually quite looking forward to going back to work (laughs).
Get some sleep…
"Get some sleep. Exactly, yeah. So I'm just hoping the first few shifts I go back I don't have any night jobs."
One of Prince William's great passions is saving endangered species in Africa. He wants his son to experience the same Africa he saw as a boy and a young man, to spark in his son a passion for preserving the rarest wild animals, much as his father did with him…You talked about your father possibly whispering quietly in your ear as he …
"Sweet nothings "
Are you going to do the same for Prince George because it’s such, it’s a cause that you care so deeply about. Would you like him to pick up on it?
"Probably. At this rate, I’ll probably whisper sweet nothings in his ear. I’ll have toy elephants and rhinos around the room. We’ll cover it in sort of, you know, lots of bushes and things like that. Make him grow up as if he’s in the bush. "At the moment, the only legacy I want to pass on to him is to sleep more and maybe not have to change his nappy so many times."
