Wills at the Wheel

01/29/1999 at 12:00 AM EST

Britain's Prince William showed off his driving skills to photographers Monday in his first official photo call since the death of his mother in a Paris car crash nearly two years ago. (The British press adopted a tough new code of practice after the death of Princess Diana in which they pledged to respect the private lives of children of the rich and famous.) British papers said Monday's photo call had been organized on the basis that the pictures would clear the way for a snap-free summer for Princes William and Harry.

• At the photo op, shutterbugs were invited to Prince Charles's Highgrove country retreat, where William drove up the sweeping gravel entrance with his driving instructor, Sgt. Chris Gilbert of the Metropolitan Police. Charles and Harry stood on the doorsteps and watched William arrive and park a borrowed Ford Focus. (Wills drives a VW Golf.) The Prince, 17, then opened the window and obligingly smiled and grimaced for the assembled press.