Queen Elizabeth and Prince William
Britain's Queen Elizabeth and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, (R) chat with each other in the Royal Box at the Royal Albert Hall during the Annual Festival of Remembrance in London November 7, 2015. Reuters/Chris Jackson/Pool

Being the future king of England does not exempt Prince William from an “almighty b------ing” from his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II. The 33-year-old royal recalled the time when he accidentally almost killed his cousin and got a royal scolding from the monarch herself.

In a documentary to mark the British Queen’s 90th birthday, the Duke of Cambridge recalled to Sky News the discipline he received from the Queen when he was a child. A particular scene involved him and his cousins Peter and Zara Phillips when they were kids.

“We were chasing Zara around who was on a go-cart, and Peter and I managed to herd Zara into a lamppost. The lamppost came down and nearly squashed her, and I remember my grandmother being the first person out at Balmoral running across the lawn in her kilt,” the Duke, who is the second in line to the throne, said.

“She came charging over and gave us the most almighty b------ing, and that sort of stuck in my mind from that moment on,” William continued. “From that moment on, that I really should, you know, be a little bit careful about what I’m doing and try not to kill my cousins.”

Peter and Zara, who now goes by her husband’s last name of Tindall, are the children of Anne, Princess Royal, and her first husband, Captain Mark Phillips.

His grandmother, the Queen

Losing her mother when he was a teenager was a traumatic event for him, as well as for his brother, Prince Harry. However, William was grateful his grandmother had been there to help him cope with the loss.

“Having lost my mother at a very young age, it has been particularly important for me that I had somebody like the queen to look up to and who has been there and has understood some of the more complex issues when you lose a loved one,” he told Sky News.

Prince George isn’t aware of his royal lineage

There are cameras always photographing him and people wanting to meet him every time he goes out in public, but for 2-year-old George, he is just a normal kid. William hinted that he and wife Kate Middleton haven’t told their eldest child that he is royalty and he will be king one day.

“There will be a time and place to bring George up and understand how he fits in the world,” he told BBC. “Right now it’s just a case of keeping a secure and stable environment and showing him as much love as I can as a father.”

Nevertheless George has already started with his royal duties as early as now. He has posed for his first stamp photo with his dad, granddad Prince Charles, and the Queen.

Prince George smiles for first stamp photo with ‘Gan-gan’ Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles and Prince William

‘Work-shy’ William he is not

In the same BBC interview, William refuted reports that he has avoided his royal duties in favour of spending more time with his family.

“I take duty very seriously. I take my responsibilities very seriously. But it’s about finding your own way at the right time. And if you’re not careful, duty can sort of weigh you down and awful lot at a very early age. And I think you’ve got to develop into the duty role,” he said, adding that both Charles and the Queen supported the fact that he had less active role with his royal duties.

He was also aware of the criticisms that he was “work-shy,” saying “it’s not something I take completely to heart.”

William works as an air ambulance pilot, a job that he takes seriously but knows he would give up someday.

“I have a contract, and when my contract runs out, that will probably be a time when I finish,” he said.

His contract ends in March next year.

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