Chile Days for Prince William

By Stephen M. Silverman

07/17/1998 at 12:00 AM EDT

This week's PEOPLE magazine coverboy, Prince William of England, has been in the wilds of Patagonia since Monday, officially launching his year off from school by participating in environmental and community projects. The future king of England, 18, is being accompanied on this adventure by Mark Dyer, 34, a former aide to William's father, Prince Charles, and one of William's closest confidantes, reports PEOPLE. But William brings the full weight of the Empire with him, too. On Thursday, reports the Associated Press, the British embassy in Santiago, Chile, called upon local journalists "to respect the privacy of Prince William" and offered to arrange a photo session with the monarch if the demand to leave him alone was met. (So far, William has reportedly not been seen or photographed.) William's precise location is said to be a sprawling farm located about 1,000 miles south of Santiago, where he is sleeping in a tent he pitched with his own hands, Patricia Pavez, a spokeswoman for the high-security expedition, told the AP. She added: "He even has to cook for himself."