For Science and Arts

Prince William is interviewed by a young cancer patient as President of the Royal Marsden Hospital
18th March 2009

Prince William has shown his support for plans to build a new hospital unit at the Royal Marsden for children and teenagers with cancer during an interview with a young cancer patient at Clarence House.

In the interview with Alice, who has been treated at the hospital of which he is President, Prince William speaks about his childhood dream of becoming a policeman, his charity work and how he got his "Harry Potter" scar.

The interview was for CBBC's Newsround programme.

The Prince, now 26, undertook work experience at the children's unit in 2005 and was appointed President of the Royal Marsden Hospital in 2007, a position previously held by his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales.

The Princess opened the children's unit at the hospital in 1993.

"For a very long time my mother was involved with the Royal Marsden, and she had a very close connection with them ... So I wanted to ... follow in her footsteps, in that sense, and help," he told 10-year-old Alice.

He added: "And since doing that [work experience] I've learnt so much and met so many incredible people who have been unfortunate enough to, you know, have cancer - and most battle through it and have dealt with it in an incredibly inspirational way..."

Answering a question on what he would do if he was not a Prince, William said: "A long time ago I wanted to be a policeman, when I was younger. I soon learnt that probably wasn't a good idea."

He added: "At the moment I'm still doing some sort of helicopter flying, doing search and rescue ... It's going very well."

The Prince also told the young Royal reporter about how a childhood golf accident left him with a "Harry Potter" scar.

Pointing to his forehead, he told Alice: "That was for my Harry Potter scar, as I call it, just here. I call it that because it glows sometimes and some people notice it - other times they don't notice it at all."

Click here to visit the Royal Marsden website.