Veteran royal correspondent Judy Wade, who knew Diana well, says William has done his mum very proud.
I saw firsthand how Diana won over the world, and I had a sense of deja vu when I saw her son, Prince William, on his first adult tour of Australia and New Zealand.
William came, the public saw, and he conquered the hearts of Australians by the thousands.
From the minute he arrived, the image of Diana was among the Aussies again, but William’s charm offensive really got under way when he visited The Block, in Sydney’s inner-city area of Redfern, where he was greeted by Sydney’s indigenous community.
Surprised by the huge crowd waiting to see him, he blushed as he was welcomed with a Wakka Wakka tribal dance and the traditional wafting of smoke from eucalyptus leaves.
The fact that a prince chose to visit some of the most underprivileged people in the city was regarded by them as an unprecedented honour, and by Aussies who’d loved Di as William’s touching tribute to his mother.
Once inside the building, Wills delighted children and elders alike, playing ping pong and even reading the storybook, Possum Magic, to a group of enthralled kids.
Approached by a six-year-old girl who asked, “Did your Mummy die?” William quietly replied, “Yes she did. It was very sad.”
Everyone agreed Diana would be delighted with the way her elder son has turned out. “He’s such a credit to her,” one elderly lady said. And I couldn’t agree more.
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