A prince on the edge

In days of old, the idea of Prince William standing as close as he could to the edge of a cliff would have filled a royal court with dread.  In times when the heirs and their heirs were so vital to the monarchy that their very person was protected at all costs, the sight of a second in line to the throne tiptoeing closer and closer to a sheer drop would have been enough to send a monarch and their merry men into a tailspin.  How times have changed.  Well, not that much really.  Because despite the jokey nature of many of the articles written about Prince William going right to the edge of Narrow Neck Lookout in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney, there is a gentle and universal eyebrow raising going on that a future king was allowed to do something so potentially dangerous.

The Duchess of Cambridge appears to be urging her husband to take a step back as Prince William causes a commotion by straying near the edge of a cliff in Australia

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were touring the Blue Mountains on day two of their visit to Australia.  The couple were watching abseiling - part of a team building exercise for young people - when the duke decided to see what they were up against.  The duchess then caused a minor panic of her own by saying she would love to try the activity out but wasn't wearing the right clothes.

No wonder they were nervous - a better view of the view that Prince William was trying to see as he went close to the edge

The day had begun in Winmalee where they met residents and emergency workers who had been affected by the bush fires which hit the area in 2013.  The royal couple had lunch with the locals at the guide hall before their first go at that very royal activity on this tour - a spot of tree planting.

The duchess digs in - Kate planting a tree during her visit to Winmalee on April 17th 2014

The next stop was Echo Point where they met three Aboriginal Leaders, representing in Indigenous People of the area.  They presented the duke and duchess with a possum skin coat for Prince George and a kangaroo coast for them.   Later on in the day, the couple saw the Three Sisters in Katoomba.

 

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at the Three Sisters in Katoomba

But before the day ended, with a private meeting between William and Australian Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, the second in line to the British throne had everyone gasping as he took a walk to the very end of a cliff.  Big sighs of relief all round as this prince came back from the edge.