Prince Harry grinned and cavorted before an audience of pupils and staff from Cathays High School in Cardiff yesterday. In return he was greeted more like a pop star than a member of the Royal Family.

Prince Harry nursing a baby in Wales

On a first day of engagements in Wales, Harry was there to learn about the school’s work with disadvantaged children in Africa by forging links with a school in the kingdom of Lesotho, home to Harry’s own charity, Sentebale.

At one point Harry held a small baby and joked, “It’s not mine!” He then paused in front of Matthew Taylor, a red-haired 12-year-old who said after meeting the Prince: “We all thought he was going to walk past but he actually took the time to stop and talk to us. He said to me ‘I’m ginger - gingers love gingers.’”

Harry will be joining members of his regiment, the Blues and Royals, in Lesotho later this summer to help build care facilities and repair infrastructure for projects supported by Sentebale.

The Prince certainly demonstrated his common touch among the people of Wales yesterday. As the second son, his gurning and comedy routines are a breath of fresh air. For Prince William, though, they would be a performance too far.

Prince William after presenting the Grand Slam trophy to Wales

After an action-packed finale to the Six-Nations Tournament at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Prince William, Patron of Welsh rugby, presented the Championship trophy to a victorious Welsh team this afternoon.

The Welsh side compehensively defeated France, following victories over the other four nations in the tournament.