Prince William finishes work experience at financial organisations in London

Nov 28, 2005, 15:35 GMT

Britain's Prince William has finished his three-week stint of work experience at financial organisations in London.

The prince said his time at the Bank of England, London Stock Exchange, Lloyds of London and Billingsgate Fish Market had been "very busy".

He says he has a "much better understanding of how all the different financial institutions work and how they fit together".

The placement, organised by HSBC, is part of a wider programme of work experience aimed at preparing the prince for his future as king and head of the armed forces.

The young royal said: "Spending every day with people who contribute so much to this country's economy gave me the chance to experience the atmosphere of the City and to see, as best as I could, what it's really like to work there."

His time also included meeting representatives from the London Stock Exchange, the Financial Services Authority, and the law firm Farrer and Co. The prince came top in a stock picking competition - a contest to choose shares that will perform well - during his three weeks.

HSBC's Paul Cattermull said: "William learnt a great deal about our sector as well as the City at large and, I hope, really enjoyed his time with us."

The prince has also worked on a country estate to learn about land management, visited homeless charity Centrepoint and played football at Charlton Athletic FC ahead of taking up presidency of the Football Association.

He will shortly join a mountain rescue team for his final placement. William is due to embark on a military career at Sandhurst in 2006.

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