Cheeky Prince Harry risked landing
his brother in hot water at a charity day today ordering William to:
‘Stop flirting, get on with it.’
The
royal brothers were brokering multi-billion pound deals at BGC Partners
in the heart of London’s finance district when they squared up to each
other on the trading floor.
The
sibling rivalry between the pair was clear to see as they hit the
phones at the global brokerage company to help raise millions for two
charities close to their hearts, WellChild and SkillForce.
Oops: Prince Harry may have landed his brother
William in hot water with his wife Kate after ordering him: 'Stop
flirting, get on with it' during the charity day
Harry and Wills turn City slickers for a day at charity auction
The event is held each year in memory
of the 658 employees who died in the 9/11 terror attack on the World
Trade Centre in New York, with the entire profits from the day’s trading
being given to good causes.
Brotherly banter saw the pair raise
several laughs on the trading floor of the firm in Canary Wharf, as they
joined forces to negotiate huge deals, including a company record worth
€25billion.
During one
joint telephone call, Harry complained that new dad William, who
welcomed his son, Prince George, in July, was taking part in too much
‘baby talk’.
‘He's on the phone, it's all baby chat,’ Harry complained to a broker helping him seal a deal.
‘I'm much better at helicopter chat.’
‘I'm much better at helicopter chat.’
For a good cause: The brothers took part in the event to help raise money for WellChild and SkillForce
All in a day's work: Prince William and Prince
Harry helped negotiate huge deals - including a company record worth 25
billion euros
A smiling Harry then risked landing
his brother in hot water with wife, Kate, by ordering William: ‘Stop
flirting, get on with it.’
Broker Nick Thompson, 45, helped Harry and William seal a lucrative deal while colleagues cheered and shouted around them.
He said: ‘It was interesting listening to them both to see who was more confident. Harry took to it very well.’
Asked how baby George is getting on by one client on the phone, William revealed: ‘He's very well thanks. He's sleeping quite well.’
Doting dad: Prince William happily told one
caller how his son George, born in July, was doing, telling them: 'He's
very well thanks. He's sleeping quite well'
Brotherly banter: Prince Harry moaned his
brother William was partaking in too much 'baby talk' on a visit to BGC
Partners trading floor at Canary Wharf today
'I think you can do better': The Princes played hard ball with callers to get larger donations
As the brothers, both dressed smartly
in suits and ties, switched from desk to desk negotiating deals with
firms including Barclays and Merrill Lynch, traders presented Harry with
a gift for his nephew, a red, white and blue baby gro and a teddy bear
from the Little White Company.
Harry thanked the team for the gift and promised to pass it on to his brother.
At
one stage the Apache helicopter pilot appeared flustered by the
frenetic atmosphere of the room, saying: ‘Everyone's shouting different
things.’
During another deal, Harry spoke to a broker called George over the phone and gave the name the royal seal of approval. ‘A good, strong name,’ he joked.
Just another day at the office: The Princes both looked set for a day as a broker in suits and ties
Making the most of it: Prince Harry and his brother seemed more than happy to try out a spot of brokering
Rivalry: Both Prince Harry and the Duke of Cambridge wanted to raise as much money as possible
How much? Prince Harry strikes a deal over the telephone during a charity fundraising day in the City
He then urged brokers to raise the
value of the deal, calling out figures and lifting his hand to indicate
the final figure needed to be higher.
A grinning Harry quipped: ‘Are you feeling like making some money for charity today? Good. Whatever you're thinking you can double it.’
At one point William tried to break the ice with star-struck brokers by joking he wasn't really the prince.
Broker Neil Fordham, 45, revealed when Wills got on the phone with a trader, he said: ‘It's all a wind up, I'm Gary.’
Refusing to settle: Prince Harry urged the brokers to raise the value of deals during the charity event
Dealing with the banks: Prince William, Duke of
Cambridge, negotiated deals with numerous companies including Barclays
and Merrill Lynch
Proud uncle: Despite his moaning about 'baby talk', Prince Harry happily accepted a teddy bear for his nephew
Charity day: Prince Harry talks to Lily-Anne Chart, aged six, during the BGC Charity Day 2013 at Canary Wharf
Neil added later: 'It put everyone at ease. He was very good and came across very well. He did a trade that made us about £3,000 sterling. He's a bit of a natural.'
The Princes each made a handful of high-value deals during their 50-minute visit.
At
first they appeared a little timid, but they soon got into the swing of
things as the raucous trading floor buzzed around them.
At one point William remarked to a broker: 'Bloody hell, was that a billion?!'
New career? After hearing the value of some of
the trades, Prince William joked to his brother that they should start
working there
On call: Anna Friel talks to a potential donator
during the charity event as a star-struck broker takes her picture in
the background
Money, money, money: Rod Stewart and Penny Lancaster ask callers to donate money at the charity event
Actor Sean Bean, pictured left, and singer Cerys
Matthews, pictured right, speak on the phone on the trading floor
during the BGC charity event
The Hoff gets down to business: David Hasselhoff with two 'Baywatch beauties' on the trading floor
After the trader nodded, he turned to Harry to say: 'Apparently we should work here.'
Xavier Alcan, executive managing director at BGC, said: 'William was extremely pleasant and he was very efficient.
'He was making enough efforts to concentrate on the transaction with all the noise around him.'
The
charity day is in its ninth year and has raised $89million to date. The
money raised is split between several charities in the UK and abroad.
Making herself at home: Lisa Snowdon appeared very relaxed on the trading floor - even putting her feet up on a desk
Hanging on the telephone: Melanie Chisholm,
pictured left, and Charlie Webster, pictured right, also took part in
the charity event also took part in the charity event
Jumping for joy: Alex Jones looks delighted after securing a deal at the charity event
William and Harry were present to raise cash for SkillForce, for which William is patron, and WellChild, where Harry is patron.
Representatives from both charities met the princes at the event and chatted about the work being done by the two organisations.
In
their biggest deal made together, the pair broke BGC's record for a
forward foreign exchange trade, with a 25billion Euros agreement. It is
not known how much the deal will have netted for the charities.
Celebrities
including actor Idris Elba, Hollywood star Thandie Newton, singer Rod
Stewart, Baywatch star David Hasselhoff and Xtra Factor presenter
Caroline Flack also took part in the event.
Brightening up the office: Helen McCrory wore a pink jumper with matching trousers for her day on the trading floor
Well, she's used to negotiating: Barrister Cherie Blair looks at ease while striking a deal on the telephone
But it all got a bit too much for some: Chris
Evans, pictured left, looks flustered as he is bombarded with callers
while Tottenham Hoptspur manager Andre Villas-Boas, pictured right,
looked more than comfortable with the pressure of the trading floor
Memorial: Sara Cox on the trading floor during
the annual event held in memory of people who died in the attacks on New
York's twin towers on September 11, 2001
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