Prince William: A Normal Teen?

He will be 21 years old four weeks from now, and Buckingham Palace has just released new photographs of Prince William.

For someone who has never been comfortable with the media, CBS News Correspondent Tom Fenton reports for The Early Show, the older son of Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana seemed surprisingly relaxed. Posing on the beach, he said he has just finished his exams and is looking forward to a summer holiday.

Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of "Majesty" magazine says, "William's an intelligent young man. He knows eventually he will be king, once the queen dies and his father takes the throne. So he knows it's coming to him. And he's wary of the media, because he has seen too much, and also he saw what the media frenzy did to his mother."

Princess Diana's death in an automobile that was trying to outrun the paparazzi left William with a permanent mistrust of the press. But as future heir to the throne, he has no choice. Since the funeral, his advisers have been gradually introducing him to his future subjects. By all accounts, he knows how to work a crowd.

When Prince William was first taken to St. Andrews University two years ago by his father, the Prince of Wales, it was a difficult transition. He told the Scottish Press Association this week that he thought about quitting university after his first year. But like most kids, he got used to it.

At the university, he calls himself William. To friends, he's just Will. He told the press association that his reputation as a beer drinker is unfounded and that he cooks regularly for his roommate, although he is absolutely useless at it. And while his father thinks he's the laziest person in the world, he said, he does actually get up and go to school.

He also disclosed that underneath a calm exterior he is sometimes somewhat nervous.

In short, he comes across as a fairly normal and slightly self-conscious young man. But one area of his life that he tries to keep a closely guarded secret is his relationship with girls - and for good reason.

Seward notes, "William is always surrounded by girls. That is the one area of his life he tries to keep secret for very good reasons. Because any girl he is associated with has that media spotlight shown on her relentlessly and it makes it very hard for her and impossible for him to have a relationship."

The pictures released Friday are meant to lift the curtain a bit and show more of the student prince who is destined to rule this country some day.

When that will happen is anyone's guess. The present queen is 77, but if she has her mother's genes, she could reign for many more years. Then it will be the turn of the Prince of Wales. Prince William could be an old man before he takes over Buckingham Palace.