Oct 28, 2009, 12:01 GMT
Britain's Prince Edward has been praised for his "great sense of humour".
The Earl of Wessex delighted a group of 24 Australian teenagers when presenting them with a gold Duke of Edinburgh award - which sees young people learn a new skill, taking part in voluntary work and a physical activity, and going on an adventurous journey over an 18-month period - on his first engagement during a two-day visit to Sydney yesterday (27.10.09).
Lily Batterham, a 17-year-old award recipient, said she had never met anyone from the royal family before but added: "Prince Edward had a great sense of humour.
"When we had our pictures taken he passed on a tip. He said, 'If you stand still long enough eventually they'll stop clicking.' "
During his speech to the group, Edward - who achieved his gold award in 1986 - said he was "fascinated" by their surnames.
He said: "I think they actually hand picked this group in order to be able to challenge your pronunciation of names from pretty well, mostly all around the globe as far I can work out.
"There's a fascinating cross-section of names there. But brilliant."
The prince also admitted he had considered dropping out of the scheme part-way through his own course and praised the group for their endeavours.
He said: "Now that you have got to the end of it, I hope it's been a worthwhile experience. Because I'm sure there were times you were doing it, you were probably wondering why on earth you were where you were, and why. That's how I felt half way through my expedition anyway. But it's a great feeling to get to the end.
"It's a few years since I did my gold but I can still remember everything I did, and I'm sure this memory will live with you for many years to come. And when you leave this room a little bit later, just feel a little bit proud of what you've done. Just walk a few inches taller, and remember there will be people out there who will say, 'Oh the Duke of Edinburgh's Award, oh I could do that.' But you know you can."
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