Pint-Size Interviewer Grills Prince William on Childhood, Scars

March 19, 2009— -- Interviewing the future king of England is the type of assignment seasoned journalists clamor for.

But Prince William's recent exclusive interview went to someone decidedly less experienced but well prepared nonetheless -- 10-year-old cancer survivor Alice Marples.

Alice grilled him on everything from his childhood to arm-wrestling with Prince Harry. And she learned some princely tidbits. Prince William told her he wanted to be a policeman as a child. And he's got what he calls a "Harry Potter scar" on his head from a run-in with a golf club.

Alice was a patient at the Royal Marsden Hospital, which treats pediatric cancer patients from all over the world and this week launches a massive building project to make it the largest cancer treatment center in Europe.

Prince William has been president of the Royal Marsden Hospital in London since 2007, where his mother, Princess Diana, was also president.

The hospital is also where Prince William and his mother, the late Princess Diana, have spent time meeting patients and raising awareness about the cancers they are fighting.

"I am so nervous but quite excited as well," Alice said before her big interview. "I have hundreds of butterflies in my tummy."

Yet the pint-size interviewer walked in, shook the prince's hand and got right down to business, asking him what inspired him to get involved with Royal Marsden.

"For a very long time, my mom was involved with the Royal Marsden, so she had a close connection to them, so I wanted to follow in her footsteps in that sense and help," the prince said as he settled onto the couch beside Alice. "Since doing that I've learned so much and met so many incredible people. If you've been unfortunate enough to have cancer ... most battle through with it and deal with it in such an inspirational way, much like you."