Prince William praises wife Kate after picture editing furore

‘My wife is the arty one,’ the heir to the throne said, as he told a group of children at a youth centre in west London

Prince William has paid tribute to his wife Kate’s creativity during a trip to a youth group in London.

He said: “My wife is the arty one,” when he decorated biscuits with a group of children at a centre in Sheperd’s Bush, west London.

William visited West, a new £12 million centre providing a wealth of facilities for eight to 18-year-olds, and quizzed children about their phone habits.

The Prince of Wales celebrates with young people after he threw a basket, during a visit to WEST, the new OnSide charity youth zone in Hammersmith and Fulham (Frank Augstein/PA Wire)

Sitting down with a group working on a mental health project, he asked: “How much time do you spend on your phone a day?” adding with a laugh, “We can all be honest about this.”

When one teenage girl said 15 hours, he replied: “Fifteen hours, that’s quite a lot – I bet you feel better coming here.”

The future King brought up the issue of mobile phone use again after he washed his hands, put on an apron and spread icing on a biscuit before decorating it.

The Prince of Wales during a visit to WEST, the new OnSide charity youth zone in Hammersmith and Fulham, west London (Frank Augstein/PA Wire)

He admitted adults also spent too much time on their phones and revealed his biscuits of choice- chocolate digestives or KitKats.

West, which stands for Where Everyone Sticks Together, was named by the youngsters who use the facility in Shepherd’s Bush, west London which officially opens in April.

The Prince appeared keen to see all aspects of West which is the 15th facility established by OnSide, a national youth centre charity.

William complimented his wife amid controversy sparked by Kensington Palace’s decision to share a family photograph on Mother’s Day which had been edited by Kate - the Princess later made a public apology after news agencies decided to remove the picture.

Since Phil Chetwynd, the global news director of Agence France-Press (AFP), hit out at the palace in an interview on BBC Radio 4’s The Media Show.

When asked if they were “a trusted source”, he responded: “No, absolutely not. Like with anything, when you’re let down by a source the bar is raised.”

Later, William will attend an event in honour of his late mother Princess Diana at the Science Museum in London where he is expected to mark 25 years of the Diana Legacy Award by giving a speech and awarding 25 recipients.

Prince Harry is expected to join the ceremony via video link after William’s appearance which has fuelled further speculation there is a growing rift between the brothers.