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Prince William attempting Swahili
LONDON, England -- Prince William, second in line to the British throne, says in a rare interview he is so enamored with Africa that he is trying to learn Swahili and may switch his university studies to focus on geography. William, the eldest son of Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana, also admits he initially felt "uneasy" at university and considered quitting but was persuaded to continue by his father. In the interview with the UK Press Association, William discussed his time at St. Andrews in Scotland and his plans for the future -- in particular, his interest in Africa that began when he visited the continent during a one-year break before attending university. Speaking just weeks before his 21st birthday, William said he wants to learn Swahili "because of my love for Africa." "It's an odd language to learn but I wanted to do something that was very specialized. I love the people of Africa and I'd like to know more about them -- and to speak to them," he said. "I've got a book and a book-tape ... I have them in my room and they're collecting dust quite rapidly but I am trying to make progress." William has so far avoided the intense glare of publicity that followed his mother, the late Princess Diana, the Prince of Wales. And most British royal stories come from leaks, official or otherwise, or from staff, current or otherwise, making a first-hand account of life inside the Windsor household something to be lapped up and in great detail by the British media. Royal watcher Ingrid Seward told CNN William probably gave the interview so that the national media would leave him a lone a little while longer. "William gave a very charming interview in which he said a lot but absolutely nothing,' she said. In the interview William said starting at St. Andrews two years ago made him "a little uneasy" and it "crossed his mind" to drop out of university. "I went home and talked to my father during the holidays and throughout that time debated about whether to come back -- not seriously debating it -- but it did cross my mind,'' he said. "My father was very understanding about it and realized I had the same problems as he probably had. He was very good about it and we chatted a lot and in the end we both realized, I definitely realized, that I had to come back.'' However, William said he may drop his art history course and specialize in geography, adding that he is not as good at art as his father and brother. "He [Prince Charles] is very modest about it and he's always criticizing his own work,'' he said. "Harry can paint but I can't ... He has our father's talent while I am about the biggest idiot on a piece of canvas." Asked about his timetable at university, he said: "My father thinks I'm the laziest person on earth. But surprisingly I do actually get up. I've had nine o'clock lectures all this year.''
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